First Freedom : The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth written by Angélique Roché is an autobiographical graphic novel that tells the story of activist Opal Lee. This is a unique graphic novel that covers Opal’s personal history, as well as the history of the Juneteenth holiday.

Opal Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth, is featured in First Freedom as readers learn about her past and the history of Juneteenth itself. Spanning from the 1860s to the present, readers travel the country to learn about these histories.

Miss Opal was born in 1926 and grew up in a racially divided America. Determined to overcome these obstacles, she dedicated her life as a lifelong educator and community activist. Determined to celebrate Juneteenth as a federal holiday, she marched across the country and pushed for freedom for all people. While showcasing Miss Opal’s life, readers also learn about the history of Juneteenth, a federal holiday that marks the day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Texas to ensure that all enslaved people would be free. It took two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed for it to be fully enforced across the entire United States. The federal holiday went into effect in 2021, with much credit given to Miss Opal. I highly recommend this graphic memoir if you are interested in women’s history, American History, and Black American history. This is a good introduction to Juneteenth, given its lengthy bibliography and the story vignettes woven through.