Afton Lee Sr

Afton M. Lee, Sr (1896–1989) was a prominent businessman and land owner in the Birmingham District.

Biography

Lee was the son of Damon Lee, a former slave who settled in Rosedale in the 1890s. Damon became a wealthy man and upon his death Afton inherited large tracts of land in Rosedale, Center Point, and Riverchase.

Afton Lee ran Afton Lee Grocery, the grocery store founded by his father in Rosedale, most of his life, but he was also active beyond it. He helped revitalize the 4th Avenue black business district. In 1968, Lee was elected to the Homewood City Council.

Lee was murdered during a robbery at his grocery store in 1989.

Honors

The Afton Lee Community Center was named in Lee's honor, as was the Afton Lee Award of the A. G. Gaston Conference Awards. On September 18, 2007, Afton Lee was posthumously inducted into the Birmingham Business Hall of Fame.

References

• Hubbard, Russell (September 18, 2007) "Kiwanis induct 5 area leaders." Birmingham News
• Crawford, Cindy (September 18, 2007) "Five inducted in 'Birmingham Business Hall of Fame'." Birmingham Business Journal