Texas Lawmakers Urge Nobel Peace Prize Nomination for Opal Lee, Grandmother of Juneteenth

Texas lawmakers are pushing for the Grandmother of Juneteenth, Opal Lee, to receive the ultimate international recognition.

North Texas Congressman Marc Veasey and 33 other members of Congress sent a letter to the Nobel Prize Nomination Committee, asking them to nominate the civil rights icon for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.

"I've heard rumors, but it never occurred to me that it would actually happen. ... I don't know what to say," the 95-year-old told The Dallas Morning News. "I'm humbled. Wow. ... That's what you call a heartstopper."

Lee, who was raised in Fort Worth, spent 40 years fighting for national recognition of June 19, 1865 (the day the last slaves in Texas were freed). Her dream finally came true when President Biden signed legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday last year.

"Ms. Opal Lee is a civil rights icon who has worked tirelessly to ensure that the Juneteenth holiday gets the national recognition it has long deserved," Veasey said in a statement. "I have been proud to call Ms. Lee a friend and mentor for nearly my whole life and was honored to work alongside her to finally get Juneteenth made into a national holiday last year. I cannot think of a better person who has constantly fought for justice, and that is why I am nominating her to receive this year's Nobel Peace Prize."

WATCH: Ms. Opal's Mission

The prestigious Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to "the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."

We're rooting for you, Ms. Opal!