The petition on Opal Lee’s hope to make Juneteenth a national holiday ran out of time Tuesday when it didn’t reach the goal of 100,000 signatures, the Star-Telegram reports.
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However, that hasn’t stopped Lee, 89, from continuing on.
“Whether we have 100,000 signatures or not, she is still walking. Her goal is to get an audience with the president to ask him why [Juneteenth] hasn’t been made” a national holiday, said Dione Sims, manager of Lee’s grassroots campaign.
A new petition was put on the White House website, and it will need 100,000 signatures by Oct. 27 to get a response.
According to the Star-Telegram, Lee will continue her work Friday in Mississippi and will later head to the cities of Birmingham and Tuskegee in Alabama.
“More people are picking up the story,” said Sims.
The hope is that the more people hear about her and her journey, the faster her petition will receive the number of signatures needed.
Read more at the Star-Telegram.
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