hatred isn't going anywhere soon we can thank this woman for showing us that we have one powerful weapon against these attacks opal Lee was 12 when her family home was torched to the ground by white Neighbors in 1939 upset a black family dared to exercise their freedom to settle in a white area angry mobs attacked thankfully her family all survived the brutal attack decades later Lee was at a local juneth parade when the childhood trauma haunted her again after emancipation was announced in June 1865 waves of anti-black violence from white folks took black communities by storm Lee knew what that felt like a hurtful memory became a powerful source of motivation Lee used her story to help get juneth declared as a Federal holiday she walked over 1400 miles beginning in 2016 stopping to share her experiences now