Tyler Perry will step up to help a Black grandmother who has faced a legal battle for her land. Josephine Wright’s family has owned a plot of land in Hilton Head, South Carolina since the Civil War.
However, a development company called Bailey Point Investment attempted to take Wright’s land through legal means after she refused to sell. The company got approval from town officials to develop 29 acres of land behind Wright’s home. Once Wright turned down the offer to sell, the company filed a lawsuit to seize control of the property.
Bailey Point claims that Wright’s porch sits on property they bought, although their property is across the street from Wright’s home.
But Perry has decided to step up and help Wright by building her a new five-bedroom home for her and her grandchildren to live in. Construction will begin once permits are squared away.
A tree recently fell on the home and caused damage to the roof. No one was home at the time the tree fell.
Others across the nation have stepped up to contribute to Wright’s GoFundMe which has gained nearly $400,000, helping with legal fees. Celebrities such as Will Packer, chef Kardea Brown, and Fantasia have also helped Wright.
Wright is a grandmother to 40, great-grandmother to 50, and great-great-grandmother to 16. Her husband’s relatives escaped slavery and were freed by Union soldiers. The family would eventually purchase the property at Hilton Head and remain there for decades.
