HILTON HEAD, SOUTH CAROLINA: Josephine Wright and her family have garnered significant attention both nationally and internationally due to a lawsuit filed against them by Bailey Point Investment LLC. The company is building a 147-unit neighborhood that surrounds Wright's Jonesville road property, which has been in her family since shortly after the Civil War. The legal battle has attracted widespread media coverage and public interest.
Wright received the news on Sunday that NBA Champion Kyrie Irving has donated $40,000 to assist in her legal defense. Additionally, Tyler Perry, a billionaire media mogul, is showing his support for the 93-year-old South Carolina woman who is currently fighting to keep her home and land, which has been connected to her family since the Civil War.
Who is Josephine Wright?
Josephine Wright is a 93-year-old woman who is involved in a legal battle against Bailey Point Investment LLC to keep her home and land. According to Wright, she considers the lawsuit to be "frivolous." She believes that the developer is attempting to pressure her into selling her 1.8-acre parcel of land, which is located next to their upcoming neighborhood development. "I've been pretty much a fighter all my life," Wright said. "It puzzled me at first. But then it got me angry."
Wright told WSAV that the property had been her family's home for generations. "This house means it's a home, a place where I want to be at this age," she said. Wright's husband belonged to the Gullah Geechee community, which is composed of descendants of Africans enslaved on rice, indigo, and Sea Island cotton plantations in the lower Atlantic coast region of the Carolinas. The Gullah Geechee people have ancestral roots in West Africa, particularly in regions known for rice cultivation. Some of her husband's relatives were able to escape slavery and gained their freedom with the assistance of Union soldiers.
Celebs support Josephine Wright
Tyler Perry, the billionaire film producer and owner of a studio in Atlanta, Georgia, became aware of Wright's case through a local news report and expressed his desire to help her. Perry wrote on Instagram, ''I've pretty much been a fighter all my life' said 93 year old Josephine Wright. Well, that makes two of us. Ms. Wright, please tell where to show up and what you need to help you fight."
Rapper Meek Mill also chimed in with moral support, writing, "Corporate bullying at its finest .. this super hero status!" Film producer Will Packer commented, "I also got Ms. Josephine's back. Count me in TP." Singer Fantasia agreed, adding, "I will stand with you as well Tyler."
GoFundMe for Josephine Wright has raised over $150K
The family has received support from the community through a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised more than $151,000 to help cover their legal fees. The contribution from NBA player Kyrie Irving, amounting to $40,000, is the largest donation that the family has received so far.