A portrait of Fort Worth civil rights pioneer Opal Lee will be unveiled in the state capitol today.
Texas State Senator Royce West of Dallas says the picture will be on permanent display in the State Senate Chamber with today's unveiling at 11 a.m.
In a Senate ceremony honoring Ms. Lee last year, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick suggested such an honor and in bipartisan co-operation, Patrick and West worked together to coordinate the effort.
Now 96 years-old, Opal Lee spent decades in the finally successful effort to have Juneteenth designated a federal holiday.
"Juneteenth" refers to the date of June 19th, 1865, the day news arrived in Galveston that African-American slaves had been freed. The date was more than ten weeks after the Civil War had ended.
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