Josephine Wright, a 93-year-old grandmother, found herself caught in a court struggle with property developers who want to push her out of her ancestral house on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, in 2023. Tyler Perry, a prominent film director and studio owner, has promised his support for Josephine Wright. Josephine Wright is fighting to stay in her home until 2023.
The cottage that belongs to Wright and has been in her family since the Civil War is now located on property that is being developed by Bailey Point Investment. The business has taken legal action against the woman, alleging that some of her property extends into the land that they own. After learning about the difficulties that Wright was experiencing in June 2023, Perry took to social media to share his thoughts in an effort to show his support for Wright.
Since many generations of the Wright family have called this house home, the current owner, who is 93 years old, attaches a great deal of emotional significance to the house. According to WSAV, she values her connection to the past and views her house as a representation of her ancestry. She is the wife of a Gullah Geechee Islander, whose ancestors were slaves on the rice, indigo, and Sea Island cotton plantations. She believes her home to be a sign of her lineage. After the end of the Civil War, freed slaves who had fled to the North were able to pass their land on to their descendants.
Perry, who was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, did not come from a financially stable family, but he overcame his humble beginnings by writing and directing theater musicals that focused on African-American households. He was also involved in the production of a number of films, one of which being the very successful movie “Madea’s Family Reunion,” which grossed over $30 million worldwide in 2006. Madea was adapted into a film series that ultimately consisted of eight separate entries.
Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry entered into a production collaboration in 2012 to create scripted television series. Because of his profession, he was able to visit ViacomCBS as well as various book outlets. In the year 2020, Forbes listed Perry as one of the most profitable stars in Hollywood, attributing his projected net worth to be one billion dollars.
Given Perry’s well-known reputation for charity and compassion, his participation in the investigation into Wright’s case does not come as a surprise. The philanthropic billionaire is well-known for his yearly donations of food to those in need on Thanksgiving, as well as for his support of groups that assist victims of crime and his attempts to raise up people and communities that are struggling.
On June 29, 2023, Perry used his Instagram account to bring attention to the predicament of an elderly lady by writing, “‘I’ve pretty much been a fighter all my life,’ said 93-year-old Josephine Wright,” which was a quote from Josephine Wright. “Now there are two of us,” she said. Ms. Wright, if you could kindly tell me where to go and what I should bring to assist me fight, I would really appreciate it.
In the area around Wright’s land, the real estate company Bailey Point Investment plans to build a 147-unit apartment complex that will cover 29 acres. They first contacted her with a proposition to acquire her land, but she declined the offer.
Following this, she claims that she was subjected to a campaign of harassment, which included the slashing of her tires, the throwing of rubbish onto her property, and even the hanging of a snake from one of her windows. As a form of retaliation, Bailey Point has launched a lawsuit against Wright, claiming that her porch extends into their property and accusing her of hindering the development of their building project.
Wright has already expended costs, having paid around $1,900 to relocate a shed and remove a satellite dish in an attempt to comply with the expectations of the developer. This effort was made in order for Wright to sell the property. Despite this, she is unwavering in her commitment to fight for the preservation of her house.
Bakari Sellers, a former member of the state legislature who is now a member of Wright’s legal team, has taken up the cause and is encouraging concerned residents to get in touch with the developer and politicians so that they would support Wright’s case. As more individuals became aware of Wright’s battle, an increasing number of people offered their assistance.
CNN reports that Wright’s late spouse was of Gullah and Geechee ancestry. Sellers highlighted that “land battles with developers have historically been an issue” for the Gullah Geechee people in their explanation. “Their land is so valuable,” Sellers said. “This is something that they (the developers) have been doing for years. This is not a fresh idea.”
Tracy Love Graves, who is Wright’s granddaughter, said that she was offered $30,000 for the property but she turned it down. The developer initiated legal action against Wright in February 2023, asserting in the complaint that Wright’s satellite dish, shed, and porch were located on the developer’s property.
Wright insisted that “my porch is not on their property,” when asked about the neighbors. She went on to say, “I just want to be alone.” I want to continue to live on my land as I have in the past, in complete tranquility.
Wright filed her own counterclaim in April 2023, which was later revised in June. In it, she accused Bailey Point of using a “constant barrage of tactics of intimidation, harassment, and trespass, to include this litigation in an effort to force her to sell her property.” Wright’s counterclaim was filed in response to the lawsuit that Bailey Point had filed against her.
In addition, a GoFundMe campaign was started in order to assist her in meeting the financial obligations brought on by the court action. At the time this story was published, the total amount raised from the campaign was over 316,000 dollars, and over 6,300 individuals had contributed. According to the information provided by the top contributors of the GoFundMe campaign, NBA player Kyrie Irving contributed the amount of $40,000. CNN has verified that he contributed. The contribution of $10,000 from Snoop Dogg’s Death Row Records was also included on the list.
Wright stated her hope that the struggle for her land would motivate other Black landowners in her neighborhood to do their part in protecting their own properties in the same way that she was fighting for hers. “They have never been able to fight back,” she claimed. “[T]hey have never been able to.” “But once they see somebody else doing it, they will know that they have the right to do what I did,” you said. “I did have the right to do what I did.”