Opal Lee, a Texas activist known for her work in making Juneteenth a national holiday, has been given her childhood home 80 years after her family was forced out of it by a racist mob, according to WFAA.
Trinity Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization dedicated to building and repairing homes for families, made this incredible gesture to Lee.
The History Of Opal Lee’s Fort Worth Home
Opal Lee’s childhood home was located in Fort Worth, Texas, and she was only 12 when her family moved into the newly purchased house on the lot on June 15, 1939.
At that time, her neighborhood consisted of all white people, and her family was one of the first African American families to move into the area, facing widespread racial segregation.
However, on June 19, now celebrated as Juneteenth, a white mob reportedly forced Lee’s family out of their home. The police reportedly stood by and watched while the mob trashed the house and set the family’s belongings on fire, as reported by WFAA.
This traumatic experience fueled Lee’s lifelong commitment to fighting for racial justice and equality.
Trinity Habitat For Humanity Acquired The Land And Built A New Home
Trinity Habitat for Humanity had purchased the vacant 940 East Annie Street lot, and Opal Lee got in touch with the non-profit’s CEO, Gage Yager.
Opal and Gage have known each other for decades, and Lee even served on the organization’s founding board.
During their conversation, Lee shared that Trinity Habitat for Humanity now owned the lot where her childhood home stood. She asked Gage to purchase the lot, but he insisted on gifting it to her and even offered to build her a new home on the vacant lot.
Opal expressed her gratitude, saying the generous gift made her feel like doing “a holy dance,” as reported by WFAA.
In early September, Opal and some of her closest friends celebrated her birthday by breaking ground on the lot.
This gesture is a fitting tribute to Lee’s lifelong dedication to fighting for racial justice.
“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,” said Yager. “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,” he continued.
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