Opal Lee Now Holds Ownership Of A Texas Property That Was Once Stripped From Her Family By Racist White Mob
Opal Lee Now Holds Ownership Of A Texas Property That Was Once Stripped From Her Family By Racist White Mob
Pioneer Opal Lee has received the keys to her new home.
As AFROTECH™ previously reported, in 1939, 12-year-old Lee along with her family were removed from their home in Fort Worth, TX, by a racist white mob.
“Just to know that there might be children that we could have played with, that we might have known their families,” Lee told CBS News Texas. “We just wanted to be good neighbors, that’s all.”
The outlet also notes Lee never lost hope that she would one day own that very land. Her wishes would come true in January 2024 when she received a homecoming and acquired ownership of the land that was stripped from her family.
Building on this milestone, a home was recently constructed for Lee on the property, and she has received the keys to her new home. She was given the property for $10 thanks to North Texas organizations such as Trinity Habitat for Humanity and Texas Capital. Additionally, HistoryMaker Homes is credited for building the home free of charge, and JCPenney aided to furnish the home.
“I’m so happy I don’t know what to do,” said Lee, according to AP News.
Nelson Mitchell, CEO of HistoryMaker Homes, commented to CBS News Texas:
“Dr. Lee’s contribution to our nation through her work for racial justice cannot be understated, and we are deeply honored to have built her new home that now proudly stands where great injustices once occurred.”
Gage Yager, CEO of Trinity Habitat for Humanity, explained per the outlet:
“With tears of sadness for past atrocities and tears of joy for this momentous occasion, we are humbled and honored to welcome our friend Opal home. There truly is no place like home!”
Looking ahead, Lee says she will welcome her neighbors to what she says will be “a happy place.”
“Everybody will know that this is going to be a happy place,” she expressed to AP News.
The announcement comes just days before Juneteenth, June 19, a holiday that celebrates the ending of slavery in the United States as those in Texas were the last to hear the news of the Emancipation Proclamation. It became a national holiday on June 17, 2021, and Lee is one of the activists who championed the cause.
Today, she is recognized as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.”