At the age of 12, Opal Lee and her family were forced out of their Texas home by a racist group. Now, at 97 years old, the community activist is on the brink of moving into a new house built on the exact same corner lot in Fort Worth.
Expressing her emotions about the project, Lee mentioned, “I rarely shed tears, but this project has managed to bring some out of me.” She was a pivotal figure in the movement to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday.
A ceremony to raise the walls of the new house was held at the location, where Lee participated along with others in putting up the first wall. It is anticipated that the house will be ready for occupancy by June 19, coinciding with the day of observance of the historic event marking the end of slavery in the United States, a day of significant importance to Lee.
This June 19 also marks the 85th anniversary of the day when a mob, upset that a Black family had moved in, began gathering outside the home her parents had recently purchased. In response to the growing threats, her parents sent young Opal and her siblings to a friend’s house several blocks away before leaving themselves.
Reports from that time indicate that the mob, consisting of around 500 individuals, vandalized the house by breaking windows and destroying furniture by dragging it onto the street and smashing it.
Reflecting on the traumatic event, Lee remarked, “Those people completely destroyed that place.”
Her family never returned to that house, and her parents never spoke about the incident thereafter, according to Lee.
Describing her parents’ resilience, Lee said, “My parents, who were dedicated to their faith and hard work, managed to buy another house. They did not succumb to anger or frustration but understood the importance of having a place to call home and diligently sought one out for us.”
Lee admitted that she did not dwell on the past incident and she mainly buried it deep inside. “I believe I just pushed it out of my mind,” she stated.
In recent times, she started contemplating reclaiming the lot where her family once resided. After discovering that Trinity Habitat for Humanity owned the property, Lee contacted its CEO and her long-time friend, Gage Yager.
Yager revealed that it was only three years ago during that phone call when Lee inquired about purchasing the lot that he learned the details of her family’s ordeal on June 19, 1939.
Yager admitted, “I’ve known Opal for a long time, but I was unaware of that part of her past.”
Upon confirming that the lot was available, he contacted Lee and informed her that she could purchase it for $10. He remarked during the ceremony that it was heartening to witness a gathering of people filled with love at the same spot where hatred had once prevailed.
In recent years, Lee has earned the title of the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” for her efforts in rallying people to support the designation of June 19 as a national holiday. She has been actively involved in her hometown of Fort Worth for many years, working as an educator and counselor in the school system, and establishing a significant community garden.
During the ceremony on Thursday, Nelson Mitchell, the CEO of HistoryMaker Homes, commended Lee by saying, “You show us the impact one individual can have.”**Mitchell’s Company and Texas Capital Provide New Home for Homeowner**
Mitchell’s company is constructing a new home for Lee at no expense, while the charitable division of Texas Capital, a financial services firm, is financing the home’s furnishings.
Lee is excited to move from the residence she has inhabited for more than fifty years into the new dwelling.
Lee expressed, “I know my mom would be smiling down, and my Dad. He’d think: ‘Well, we finally got it done.'”
She added, “I just want people to understand that you don’t give up. If you have a goal in mind— even if it’s been buried deep within your thoughts for years— if it was once yours, you can make it yours again.”
**Source:** nbcnews.com
