The family of a woman who spent her final days fighting to save her late husband's ancestral land on Hilton Head Island has reached a settlement with the developer.
Josephine Wright’s property was passed down for generations after being purchased by a freed slave following the Civil War. It’s long been quiet and peaceful, graced by giant trees and swaying moss.
But in recent years, the land and Wright’s modest home have been surrounded by bulldozers making way for a subdivision. Wright said she had offers to buy the property but refused to sell. Then, last February, a developer sued the 94-year-old claiming her home encroached on their plans.
Wright fought back by hiring a civil rights attorney and suddenly the story of this tiny matriarch, less than 5 feet tall, took off making news worldwide. Wright found support in celebrities like rapper Snoop Dog and media mogul Tyler Perry who offered to build the family a new home.
Now a spokesperson for Wright’s family says a settlement has been reached.
But the woman who became a symbol for saving the rapidly vanishing land of the direct descendants of slaves did not get to see the end of the legal battle. Wright passed away in January.
Family spokesperson, Altimese Nichole says the settlement requires developer Bailey Point Investment, LLC to stop contacting the family about acquiring the land, fix Wright’s roof, put up a privacy fence and provide landscaping. Nicole did not provide further details of the settlement.
“The family is grateful to have settled,” said Nichole in a statement. “They’re focused on keeping the legacy of Mrs. Josephine Wright alive.”
The family is setting up the Josephine Wright Foundationdedicated to helping other families with resources and educational awareness of land preservation.
South Carolina Public Radio reached out to an attorney for Bailey Point Investment, LLC by email but has yet to receive a response.
As for the new home Tyler Perry promised to build the Wright family, Nichole says all permits have been granted and they are just waiting for a county inspection.
Wright is survived by four children, 40 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren.
