Oni Press has announced – First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth – the graphic novel is coming to comic shop and bookstores in February of 2026, 46 years after Juneteenth was first recognized as a statewide holiday by the state of Texas, and five years since its formal establishment as a federal holiday.
Charting the incredible journey and relentless courage of activist Opal Lee—known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth—to bring recognition of American Emancipation from local advocacy to state capitols all the way to the White House, this biographical graphic novel pairs acclaimed journalist, producer, and author Angélique Roché with a trio of talented artists—including Alvin Epps, Bex Glendining, and rising star Millicent Monroe – who each chronicle a different interlocking chapter in Ms. Lee’s own arduous life alongside the true struggles and travails of the millions of Black Americans who lived the reality of the first Juneteenth celebrations at the close of the Civil War in 1865 and the aftermath that would follow their children for generations to come.
From the 1860s to Ms. Opal’s childhood home and onward through her years as a teacher to receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024, First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth seeks to give readers an insight into the history behind one of the most recognized figures in the creation of America’s newest federal holiday, Juneteenth.
Born in 1926, Opal Lee grew up in a racially divided America and dedicated her life to overcoming the obstacles presented therein. A lifelong educator, Ms. Opal has been a community activist all her life, and would join the movement to celebrate and commemorate Juneteenth not just as a holiday, but as a symbol of comprehensive freedom for all people.
Discover the life of an extraordinary woman’s path through contemporary American history and the rarely told true story of the Juneteenth holiday itself in First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth – coming in February 2026 from Oni Press.
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Source: Graphic Policy
