NBA star Kyrie Irving made headlines in July 2023 when he donated $40,000 to support Josephine Wright, a 93-year-old woman fighting to protect her family’s ancestral land in Hilton Head, South Carolina, from encroaching developers. Wright’s family has owned the land since the end of the Civil War, and it represents over 150 years of history and heritage, making Irving’s philanthropy a pivotal moment in a widely publicized legal battle.

Josephine Wright’s steadfast resolve to protect her 1.8-acre property—originally purchased in 1865 by an enslaved ancestor—sparked national attention and a broader conversation about the erosion of Black ancestral land in America. Her story, centered around a lawsuit filed by a powerful developer, resonated across the country and galvanized widespread public support, with Irving’s donation as a key turning point.

The conflict ignited in February 2023 when Bailey Point Investments filed a lawsuit against Wright, alleging that parts of her home encroached on their property. This legal action threatened to strip the Wright family of land that had been a cornerstone of their identity since the post-Civil War era. The case quickly gained national attention, spotlighting the tension between historical preservation and modern development pressures.
Wright, 93, became a symbol of resistance in July 2023, when Irving’s unexpected contribution to her GoFundMe helped her legal team fend off Bailey Point Investment LLC. The firm had sued Wright for alleged “encroachments” after she refused a $39,000 offer to sell — an amount many deemed insultingly low given the land’s value and heritage.
‘I guess they figured I would become so unnerved with the harassment that I would say take it, But they don’t know me. I am here to fight for what I have.’
Wright said at a press conference.

Irving’s donation, made quietly between July 18 and 19, catapulted the fundraiser past $245,000 within days and eventually beyond $350,000.
“A godsend at the exact moment we needed it,”
Said Wright’s granddaughter, Charise Graves. The money covered mounting legal fees, property taxes, and the first steps in building a privacy fence to shield the land from nearby development.
The developer, Bailey Point, acquired the surrounding land in 2014 with plans to build a 147-unit subdivision. After Wright’s refusal, the firm sued in February 2023, citing minor structures like a shed and satellite dish as construction obstacles. Wright countered with her own lawsuit, alleging a campaign of intimidation, including trespassers, felled trees, persistent dust, and even a snake appearing in her window.
Mediation began in September 2023 and concluded in March 2024, two months after Wright’s death.The settlement confirmed her family’s full ownership and required Bailey Point to repair her storm-damaged roof, install a privacy fence, and provide landscaping — all at the developer’s expense. The agreement also barred any future attempts to buy the land.
While Wright did not live to see the outcome — she passed away on January 7, 2024 — her family has since established the Josephine Wright Foundation to help other families facing similar threats to their generational land.
Kyrie Irving’s role in the saga was a turning point, but he was not alone. Tyler Perry pledged to build Wright a new five-bedroom home, with permits secured in 2024. Snoop Dogg donated $10,000 via Death Row Records and used Instagram to amplify her story. Artists like Fantasia and Meek Mill joined the chorus, and more than 5,000 grassroots donors from every U.S. state and several countries contributed.
Beyond its legal resolution, Wright’s case has become emblematic of a deeper, unresolved issue: the precariousness of Black heirs’ property in the face of aggressive development, especially along the South Carolina coast, where Gullah-Geechee communities trace their lineage back generations. Advocates say the case is a warning — and a rallying cry.