The 95-year-old Texan known as the "grandmother of Juneteenth" will celebrate this weekend, as she has for the past nine decades, but with the added knowledge she was instrumental in securing the date as a federal holiday.

Opal Lee decided to walk from her home in Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., six years ago, to raise awareness about the significance of Juneteenth. Lee traveled about 2.5 miles each day to symbolize the two-and-a-half years Black Texans waited for their freedom after Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery in 1862.

Lee said she has heard the many stories about why it took so long for news of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach Texas, but she prefers to think about what it meant to her ancestors.

"And when the people came in from their labor, and somebody read that general order to them, we started celebrating," Lee remarked. "And we've been celebrating ever since."

In 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth a national holiday, which means federal and some local offices will be closed, as will banks and the U.S. Post Office.

Even as a child, Lee spent Juneteenth picnicking with her family in her predominantly white Fort Worth neighborhood. At age 12, she watched a mob of 500 white supremacists burn her family's house to the ground, with no arrests made. She said the experience led her to a life of teaching, activism and most recently, campaigning.

"If people have been taught to hate, they can be taught to love," Lee asserted. "I want them to know that freedom is for all of us. None of us are free until we're all free."

And Lee believes many more problems in America could be solved if everyone pulled together.

"We need to address joblessness and homelessness, and everybody needs a decent place to stay, and climate change" Lee outlined. "There are so many disparities that, if we work together, we can eradicate."

Juneteenth celebrations will include freedom tours, reenactments, parades, concerts and more.

The youngest North Carolina voters could end up shifting the political landscape of the state in the not-too-distant future.

New data from the Brookings Institution indicates that together, people under age 45 -- the Millennials and Gen Z -- make up the largest generation and tend to lean toward the Democratic Party.

Michael Hais, former vice president of the research-based consulting firm Frank N. Magid Associates, believes the generation's diversity could be the driving force behind changes in politics over the next few years.

"Those under 45 are very distinctively different in their demographic composition, their partisanship, their political attitudes, and their media usage than voters who are over 45," Hais explained.

Research also revealed Millennials and Gen Z will be a majority of potential voters by 2028, and will represent more than 60% of potential U.S. voters by 2036. It also highlighted if Democrats do not run campaigns focused on younger voters, they could jeopardize the allegiance of the growing majority.

Dakota Hall, executive director of the Alliance for Youth Action, said another shift is young voters demand significant change and will not settle for minimal reform.

"These are folks who went to high school and witnessed nothing but 'on' news coverage on their different social media feeds, of Trump, of dysfunction, of government shutdowns and then a global pandemic," Hall pointed out. "They've seen the worst of what this country can be, and I think they want to push us forward."

According to research from the Alliance, young Democratic voters prioritize protecting abortion access and other issues - like democracy reform, voting rights, affordable health care, and stopping gun violence and climate change. Young Republicans are more concerned about the economy and inflation.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.


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Georgia's young people could shift the political landscape of the state in the near future.

New data from the Brookings Institution indicates that millennials and Generation Z make up the largest generation and tend to favor the Democratic Party.

Michael Hais, former vice president of the research-based consulting firm Frank N. Magid Associates, believes this generation's diversity could be the driving force behind changes in politics over the next few years.

"Those under 45 are very distinctively different in their demographic composition, their partisanship, their political attitudes, and their media usage than voters who are over 45, who are primarily members of Generation X, the Baby Boom generation, and the Silent Generation," Hais outlined.

Research also revealed millennials and 'Gen Z' will make up the majority of potential voters by 2028, and they will represent more than 60% of potential U.S. voters by 2036. It also highlights that if Democrats don't run campaigns to focus on younger voters, they could jeopardize the allegiance of the growing majority.

Dakota Hall, executive director of the Alliance for Youth Action, said another shift is young voters demand significant change and will not settle for minimal reform.

"These are folks who went to high school and witnessed nothing but 'on' news coverage on their different social media feeds -- of Trump, of dysfunction, of government shutdowns and then a global pandemic," Hall pointed out. "They've seen the worst of what this country can be, and I think they want to push us forward."

According to research from the Alliance, a majority of young Democratic voters prioritize protecting abortion access and other key issues like democracy reform, voting rights, affordable health care, gun violence and climate change, while young Republicans are more concerned about the economy and inflation.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.


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Prison reform advocates in Minnesota continue to speak out following a lockdown at the correctional facility in Stillwater.

People incarcerated there want better conditions, and their supporters say systemic issues need to be addressed.

A coalition is now calling for two state offices to conduct an independent human rights investigation after those being held at Stillwater staged a peaceful protest earlier this month.

The issues include a lack of air conditioning during excessive heat and poor water quality.

David Boehnke, an organizer with the Twin Cities Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, said it adds to longstanding concerns across the correctional system.

"There's a pattern and practice here," said Boehnke, "and there's just a refusal to look at these types of inhuman conditions and create actual solutions."

Boehnke contended these individuals are having their rights violated while still being expected to perform the work they're ordered to do in carrying out their sentences.

He suggested treating them better can lead to better outcomes after they're released.

The Department of Corrections cites staffing issues for some of the concerns, and argues that some of the claims are false.

Advocates say while the prison population is their primary concern, Marvina Haynes - founder of the group Minnesota Wrongfully Convicted Judicial Reform - pointed out that rough conditions can negatively affect correctional staff, too.

"Officers are working in inhumane conditions," said Haynes, "and it just causes a more stressful environment."

Haynes also has a brother incarcerated at Stillwater, and she says inmates have provided details of brown water inside the prison. That's one of the claims corrections administrators have said is false.

Meanwhile, the union representing corrections officers at Stillwater echoes concerns about operations at the facility.




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