Hilton Head Island resident Josephine Wright, who was being pushed out of her Civil War-era property, died on Sunday at the age of 94, her family said.
“Her legacy as a pillar of strength, wisdom, and commitment to justice will forever remain etched in our hearts,” a statement from her family said.
“As we navigate through the profound sadness of this loss, we find solace in knowing that Mrs. Wright’s spirit lives on through the Josephine Wright Foundation,” it continued. “From the bottom of our hearts, we express our sincere appreciation for the outpouring of love, condolences, and acts of kindness. Your solidarity during this period of grief has touched our family profoundly.”
In May this year, Wright told local news outlet WSAV that she was being harassed by developers who were forcing her to sell her property. According to Wright, her Hilton Head home is “where I want to be at this age”, adding that she was going to resist anyone who gets in the way of that. “I’ve pretty much been a fighter all my life,” Wright told the outlet.
In a suit, Bailey Point Investment Group alleged that parts of the home are on their property, WSAV reported. “I guess they figured I would become so unnerved with the harassment that I would say take it,” she said of the developers. “But they don’t know me. I am here to fight for what I have.”
After finding out about Wright’s plight, Tyler Perry made a commitment to assist her. Recently, TMZ reported that the actor/filmmaker was building Wright a 5-bedroom home in South Carolina to replace the one she is living in with her grandchildren, which is also at the center of the land dispute.
Following her passing, Perry took to Instagram to share the following statement:
I am so heartbroken to hear about the passing of this warrior. [Mrs.] Josephine Wright, even though we spoke by phone, I was so looking forward to meeting you in person next month to hand you the keys to your new house, but God had other plans. My prayer is that you rest in peace knowing that I will honor the commitment that I made to you. I know you will be watching over us all as I hand those same keys to your family.
So your 4 children, 40 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great-grandchildren will still be able to gather at YOUR house on YOUR land and tell the world what kind of fighter that you were. You have run your race and fought an incredible fight! Journey well my dear lady. You have inspired me.
Not too long ago, NBA star Kyrie Irving also donated $40,000 to a GoFundMe started by the granddaughter of Wright. The GoFundMe was set up to help raise funds for Wright’s legal fees.
