‘Grandmother Of Juneteenth’ Opal Lee, Forced Out From Her Fort Worth Home By A Racist Mob In 1939, Now Gifted With The Same Land
Opal Lee, the 97-year-old civil rights activist who was forced to leave her family’s Texas home 80 years ago when a racist mob damaged the property, has now received the same land as a gift. Lee is receiving the land from Habitat for Humanity, which builds affordable housing in communities across the U.S.
The Texas activist contacted Habitat for Humanity when she noticed that they owned the lot that once belonged to her family in Fort Worth, Texas. Gage Yager, the CEO of Trinity Habitat for Humanity, said Lee called him and asked if she could buy the land. Yager, who has known Lee for 30 years, responded with an even better offer.
“You know, it pulls up on my phone, I say, ‘Hey Opal, how are you doing?,’” Yager said in an interview with WFAA. “And she’s like, ‘You guys own my lot at 940 East Annie.’ She’s like, ‘Gage, can I buy that lot from you?’ And I say, ‘You know Opal, we’re not going to sell you that lot. But we’ll give you that lot.’”
Habitat Humanity also decided to build a home for Lee on the same lot.
“I could have done a holy dance, I tell you,” Lee told WFAA. “That was really, oh boy!”
As Habitat begins construction of the house, community members are also helping out with funding and labor skills. The community came together in September to break ground on the new home while celebrating Lee’s birthday.
“We’re there to partner with a friend to build a home and in a little way erase a big negative from all those years ago,” Yager said. “How can it not be, with all the hate and violence that’s been out there … to play a small part in a bigger story and hopefully a narrative that’s going in a good direction.”
Lee is recognized for leading the effort to make Juneteenth a national holiday. The 97-year-old, who is known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth, has received honors for her role in social justice. Lee was chosen as an honorary guest at the White House and was also nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
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