CORONADO, Calif. — Standing on their lawn, members of the Dong family waited to meet the great-grandkids of a Black couple who rented a home to them a generation ago, when laws favored white residents.
In 1939, Gus and Emma Thompson, a Black entrepreneurial couple, agreed to rent and eventually sell the house they owned to the Dongs, a Chinese American family.
Alan Nakkash for NBC NewsThe Dong family is donating the proceeds of the house sale to support the Black community.
Alan Nakkash for NBC NewsThe Dong family wanted the Thompson family descendants to tour the storied home before selling.
Nearby, Kemp leaned in to repeat words he first said at their meeting at the Coronado house.
Persons:
—, Dong, Gus, Emma Thompson, Ron Dong, Emma, “, Janice Dong, Ron’s, Ballinger Gardner Kemp, Lauren Kemp Few, Alan Nakkash, ”, Thompsons, Lloyd Dong Jr, Dong Jr, Lloyd Jr, Lloyd Sr, Jackie, Margaret, Jeanette Dong, Lloyd Dong Sr, Ron Dong’s, Margaret ., Gus Thompson, Kemp, Thompson, Kevin Ashley, Ashley, Christopher Manning, Grace Lee Bogg’s, Manning
Organizations:
San, Black Resource, NBC, NBC News, Historical, Coronado, SDSU, Coronado Historic Resources Commission, Central California —, Del
Locations:
CORONADO, Calif, San Diego State, Kentucky, California, Central California, Coronado, Del Coronado