By: Terry Allen
Big Mama said, “Baby, history isn’t just what happened yesterday. It’s what you do with what yesterday taught you.”
James Baldwin reminded us that history is not simply the past. It lives within us. We carry it, and our actions determine what future generations inherit.
I thought about those words while celebrating the 100th birthday of Dr. Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth.
I have had the extraordinary privilege of walking alongside this remarkable woman, gathering signatures, supporting her mission, and witnessing determination become national history.
When Dr. Lee began her historic journey toward Washington in 2016, she was 89 years young. Her symbolic 2.5-mile walks represented the two and a half years enslaved Texans waited for freedom after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Every step carried a message: Freedom delayed must never become freedom forgotten.
In 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday. But Dr. Lee gave America something beyond a date on the calendar. She demonstrated what happens when faith finds its feet.
At Baker Chapel, I had the honor of presenting a birthday card filled with signatures, prayers, gratitude, and love from people touched by her journey.
I told the congregation, “We don’t always have to read about history. Sometimes God allows us to walk beside it, witness it, and help make it.”
We also honored Dr. Lee with a History Maker recognition, affirming that her legacy belongs in the permanent record.
But recognition without responsibility is merely ceremony.
What good is celebrating history if we refuse to continue the work?
Dr. Lee reminds us that purpose has no expiration date, ordinary footsteps can create extraordinary change, and one determined voice can awaken a nation.
Big Mama taught me that a life well lived never dies. It keeps speaking through the people it inspires.
Dr. Lee walked so history could move forward. Now the question is: What are we willing to carry, and what history will our children say we made?
Big Mama, Lucille “Big Mama” Allen (1906–2003), was the family matriarch whose wisdom, faith, and life lessons continue to inspire Terry Allen’s reflections on community, responsibility, and legacy.
