Opal Lee’s family and friends and more than 100 people from the community celebrated on Thursday, cheering for the revered civil rights icon. The event was a...
Thursday’s event was a symbolic reclaiming of the land her family lost to a racist mob nearly 85 years ago.
Specks of sawdust floated in the breeze as the 97-year-old smiled up at the sky. Spectators in white hard hats clapped. And wiped away tears.“I’m so delighted,” she said. “I could do a holy dance. But the kids say when I try, I’m twerking.” Texas Capital Bank, Trinity Habitat for Humanity and HistoryMaker Homes partnered to rebuild the home at no cost to Lee.Lee dedicated decades of her life to educating people about the significance of Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and marks the day that enslaved Texans learned of their freedom.On Thursday, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker held Lee’s arm lightly as she told the crowd the city was eager to correct a past wrong.
He pointed to a quote by Lee. It was printed on the hard hats in the crowd: “If people can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love.”“The first mob was filled with hate,” Yager said. “We’re filled with love. God is smiling right now. Hate tore the house down.Lee and a team of helpers grabbed the wood framing of the front wall. They raised it above their heads until it stood upright.The helpers held the beams tightly. Lee stood in the space where her front door will be.
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