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Barbie Honors Juneteenth Activist Opal Lee With Inspiring Women Doll

Clay Cane
January 26, 2026

Reading Time: < 1 minute

(AURN News) — Barbie is honoring Dr. Opal Lee — the beloved “Grandmother of Juneteenth” — with her own doll in the Barbie Inspiring Women collection, People reported.

Lee, 99, has spent decades advocating for Juneteenth to become a national holiday, a goal achieved in 2021.

The doll reflects her signature look from Opal’s Walk for Freedom, featuring a custom event T-shirt, white joggers and sneakers.

President Joe Biden signs the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, June 17, 2021, in Washington. From left, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif, Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., Opal Lee, Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., obscured, Vice President Kamala Harris, House Majority Whip James Clyburn of S.C., Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Lee’s activism is deeply personal: She was born in Marshall, Texas, and her family’s home was burned by white rioters on Juneteenth in 1939.

In 2016, she walked 1,400 miles to Washington, D.C., to push for federal recognition.

The honor marks another milestone in Lee’s decades-long legacy of activism.

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Clay Cane is an award-winning journalist, writer, radio host, and political commentator. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in African-American Studies, his work on race, culture, and politics have appeared in national publications, including the Washington Post, CNN, and The Grio. Clay is a regular political commentator on MSNBC. Twitter: @claycane