Texas Capital, Trinity Habitat for Humanity and HistoryMaker Homes Join Forces To Rebuild the Home of Dr. Opal Lee, Grandmother of Juneteenth
Wall-Raising Ceremony to Take Place in Fort Worth on March 21
FORT WORTH, Texas, March 26, 2024 /3BL/ - Texas Capital, Trinity Habitat for Humanity and HistoryMaker Homes have joined forces to rebuild the home of Dr. Opal Lee, the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.” The official Wall Raising Ceremony for her new home will take place on Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas. This home is made possible through contributions from the Texas Capital Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Texas Capital, HistoryMaker Homes and Trinity Habitat for Humanity.
As a young girl in 1939, Dr. Lee watched her family home burn to the ground. Never losing hope of someday owning her family’s lot, Dr. Lee inquired about purchasing the lot from Trinity Habitat for Humanity, who generously gave it to her for $10. Texas Capital learned of the need to build Dr. Lee a new home and reached out to HistoryMaker Homes, its longtime residential homebuilding partner, to propose involvement in this historic project. To Dr. Lee’s excitement, HistoryMaker Homes generously offered to build the home at no cost to Dr. Lee. Recently, Dr. Lee visited the HistoryMaker Homes design center where she selected all of the flooring, fixtures and lighting for her planned home.
Texas Capital Foundation is providing funding for furnishings for the home, and both Texas Capital and HistoryMaker Homes employees will volunteer at the wall-raising. Jon Larson, Texas Capital’s Head of Homebuilder and Community Finance, Nelson Mitchell, CEO of HistoryMaker Homes, and Gage Yager, CEO of Trinity Habitat for Humanity will give remarks at the ceremony.
No ribbon cuttings here! Trinity Habitat for Humanity, Texas Capital and HistoryMaker Homes will celebrate the wall raising of Opal Lee’s new home by cutting a 2x6 wood stud with a miter saw. Following the board cutting presentation staff and volunteers will raise the walls on Dr. Opal Lee’s new home.
"Dr. Opal Lee has given so much to our community and our nation, and has been a tireless, lifelong advocate for racial equity and justice. We are proud to be able to give something back to her to honor her life’s work,” said Effie Dennison, Texas Capital’s head of Community Development and president of the Texas Capital Foundation.
“Our goal with every home we build is to create a place where owners can feel a sense of pride, and we are deeply honored to be part of such a meaningful project,” said Nelson Mitchell, CEO of HistoryMaker Homes. “Dr. Lee represents the very best of our community and our nation in her determination for racial justice, and there is no better way to express our profound gratitude than through her new home. Alongside our more than 50 partners and trades, our entire team at HistoryMaker is proud to work together on this momentous home build.”
When reflecting on our history with Dr. Opal Lee, Gage Yager, CEO of Trinity Habitat for Humanity said, “we’re here to partner with a friend to build a home and in a little way erase a big negative from all those years ago.”
This project is made possible by the giving hearts of many. The collaboration between Trinity Habitat for Humanity, Texas Capital and HistoryMaker Homes is a testament to the collective commitment to giving back and supporting meaningful projects in the Fort Worth metroplex.
Known as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," Dr. Opal 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. Dr. Lee worked to ensure Juneteenth’s national recognition, culminating in its designation as a federal holiday in 2021.
Texas Capital
Texas Capital Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ®: TCBI), a member of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P MidCap 400®, the parent company of Texas Capital Bank d/b/a Texas Capital, is a full-service financial services firm that delivers customized solutions to businesses, entrepreneurs, and individual customers. Founded in 1998, the institution is headquartered in Dallas with offices in Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Fort Worth and has built a network of clients across the country. With the ability to service clients through their entire lifecycles, Texas Capital has established commercial banking, consumer banking, investment banking and wealth management capabilities. All services are subject to applicable laws, regulations, and service terms. Member FDIC. For more information, please visit www.texascapital.com.
About Trinity Habitat for Humanity
Trinity Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing safe, affordable housing solutions for families in need. With a vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live, Trinity Habitat for Humanity works alongside volunteers and partner families to build homes and strengthen communities. To learn more, please visit www.trinityhabitat.org.
About HistoryMaker Homes
For 75 years, HistoryMaker Homes has been making it easy for customers to make a smart choice in home ownership. Each home that HistoryMaker builds includes intelligent construction, energy efficiency, flexible home technology, and functional floor plans built to enhance everyday life. As a fourth-generation, family-owned business, HistoryMaker Homes builds communities throughout Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston and San Antonio. In addition, HistoryMaker is ranked #25 by Homebuilder on its Top Private Homebuilders in the Nation list and #57 on Builder Magazine’s list of Top 100 Homebuilders Nationwide list. To learn more, visit www.historymaker.com.
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Media Contacts
Texas Capital
Julia Monter
(469) 399-8425
Trinity Habitat for Humanity
Liz Jackson
HistoryMaker Homes
Mary Kate Jeffries
(214) 957-0850
