US publisher Oni Press has gone big promoting the upcoming release of the graphic novel First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth, utilising the cover of trade journal Publishers Weekly to promote the incredible journey and relentless courage of activist Opal Lee, written by Angélique Roché.
Alongside Alvin Epps and Millicent Munroe, the new graphic novel includes art by Bex Glendining, who is a guest at Thought Bubble later this month, her graphic novel, On Starlit Shores, on sale this week published by Abrams Books.
The multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels since 1997 first announced First Freedom, on sale next February, back in June. In the United States, Juneteenth, or Juneteenth National Independence Day, is now a US federal holiday, celebrated on 19th June, to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally/internationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, first recognised as a statewide holiday by the state of Texas. It marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers announced that enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, were free, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. The holiday is observed with various celebrations like parades, public readings, and gatherings, and is also known as Emancipation Day.
President Joe Biden passed a bill making Juneteenth a National holiday in the United States in 2021. Ms. Opal, now in her nineties, stood alongside the president during this historic occasion and received the pen in which he used to sign off on the law.
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 (My Super Hero is Black) with a trio of talented artists, including Alvin Epps (I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005: A Graphic Novel), Bex Glendining (On Starlit Shores), 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 recognised figures in the creation of America’s newest federal holiday, Juneteenth.
“It doesn’t take much to see that the great-granddaughter of a runaway slave, born into Jim Crow and segregation, taught through integration and grew to be the grandmother of Juneteenth, has a story that needs to be told,” said author Angélique Roché. “All too often, the stories of African Americans and our communities are filled with devastating gaps and missing moments, from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
“The story of Ms. Opal Lee fills those gaps, highlighting everyday struggles and the critical moments between emancipation – that first freedom – and the hard-fought freedoms won since. From a farm in Texarkana, Arkansas, to the White House, Ms. Opal’s life represents not just the power of one person but the collective strength of our movements.”
“We’re honoured to bring Opal Lee’s extraordinary story to life for a new generation through the creative vision of Angélique Roché, Alvin Epps, Bex Glendining, and Millicent Monroe,” said Polarity CEO David Steward II. “First Freedom illustrates how one voice can inspire meaningful change, chronicling Opal’s journey from grassroots activism to national recognition, elevating Juneteenth beyond a historical milestone.
“The graphic novel serves as a powerful testament to resilience, justice, and freedom – a narrative that embodies the values we aspire to share with our Oni readers.”
“While Ms Opal is known as a champion for Juneteenth and what it stands for, her lifetime commitment to service touches every aspect of her life,” added Roché. “From motherhood to the classroom, serving as a deaconess in her church, starting and maintaining a community food bank, breaking ground on an urban farm, providing educational scholarships, and creating opportunities for affordable housing, Ms. Opal shows how we can move mountains in the pursuit of ensuring freedom for all people, one step at a time.”
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.
Ms. Opal’s life personifies the resilience that leads to lasting change in the hearts and minds of people. As the Grandmother of Juneteenth says, “If people can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love.”
First Freedom offers the opportunity to discover the life of an extraordinary woman’s path through contemporary American history, and the rarely told true story of the Juneteenth holiday itself.
First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth is on sale in all good bookshops from 16th February 2026 from Oni Press and available to preorder in hardback and paperback now (AmazonUK Affiliate Links)
The Creactors of First Freedom
Angélique Roché, co-author of Marvel Entertainment and Simon & Schuster Gallery Books’ My Super Hero is Black, released last month, is a journalist, producer, author, and professional host from New Orleans, Louisiana. A multi-hyphenate storyteller, her work sits at the crossroads of history, current events, and its impact on pop culture. She’s hosted and produced multiple non-scripted series, including Brave New Pod, Geeksplain, and more. Her first graphic novel, Trinity City #1, debuted in 2023.
Alvin Epps is an artist/illustrator known for his otherworldly aesthetic, blurring the lines between fine arts and digital arts media. He has worked creating cover art and visuals for comic books, graphic novels, album covers, film/TV, and animation. His work has been featured by publishers including Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, and Scholastic Inc.
Millicent Monroe is a graphic novelist who illustrates historical stories with an emotional core.
Bex Glendining is a biracial queer, UK based illustrator, comic artist and colourist, and a guest at Thought Bubble Festival this month. Their debut graphic novel, On Starlit Shores, is out this week (6th November 2025) from Abrams Books. When not working they can usually be found building miniature rooms, playing video games with friends or fussing Cookie, their very spoiled tortoiseshell cat.
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events, US Comics
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