She Fought Developers Until Her Dying Day

A woman on South Carolina's Hilton Head Island who drew national attention from stars such as Tyler Perry and Snoop Dogg as she fought off developers in her final years has died at 94. Josephine Wright came to embody the development pressures displacing residents of historic African American communities in the beautiful South Carolina coastal town and around the country, per the AP. An investment firm sued her early last year over alleged property encroachments on a proposed 147-unit neighborhood near land her late husband's family had owned for more than a century. The company alleged Wright's satellite dish, shed, and porch were on its land, per the New York Times, which she disputes.

"Her legacy as a pillar of strength, wisdom, and commitment to justice will forever remain etched in our hearts," the family wrote in a statement after her death Sunday at her Hilton Head home. A cause of death was not mentioned. "You have run your race and fought an incredible fight!" Perry, the actor and filmmaker, wrote in an Instagram post. "You have inspired me." Wright moved about 30 years ago from New York City to the historic Gullah neighborhood of Jonesville—named for a Black Civil War veteran who escaped slavery and purchased land there. She and her late husband sought peace while he suffered from Parkinson's disease. The couple thought they'd found the perfect quiet place in the same spot where his ancestors once took refuge.

The Hilton Head home, on about 2 acres, became a "sanctuary" for a family that totals some four remaining children, 40 grandchildren, 54 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren, according to Charise Graves, one of Wright's granddaughters, who spoke with the AP last summer. The hope was that future generations would also enjoy it. Whether they'll withstand the developer's lawsuit, or any future growth, remains to be seen. According to the most recently published online court records, a third party had been appointed to resolve the dispute. Altimese Nichole, the family's public relations representative, said conversations about a settlement are ongoing. (More obituary stories.)