Ninety-four-year-old Martha Mae Ophelia Moon Tucker was an active figure in the Civil Rights Movement. She spent her early years in segregated Alabama, and was barred from many institutions and activities that kept her from living her life to the fullest.  

When she married her late husband Lehman Tucker Sr. in 1952, she was unable to buy a white wedding dress. Tucker was barrex from neighborhood wedding boutiques for being a Black woman.

Instead, Tucker got married in a navy-blue gown.

She worked for a white woman on whom she depended for clothing purchases, reported Tom Kerry for the online publication Hrtwarming.  

Much later in life, she told her granddaughter, Angela Strozier, that she always dreamt of wearing a white wedding dress.

Strozier made that dream a reality. At the David’s Bridal in Alabama, she surprised Tucker with a fitting from the Conshohocken-based brand. 

Tucker was “overwhelmed with delight” over the prospect of being able to finally wear a dress she truly wanted. She was drawn to a gown with a low V-neck and embroidered waistline.  

Strozier wanted to give back to her grandmother to show appreciation for all the sacrifices she made. Tucker is now hoping that Oprah will provide her with a wedding ring, another bridal tradition denied her.  

Read more about Martha Mae Ophelia Moon Tucker on HrtWarming.

Watch Martha Mae Ophelia Moon Tucker’s reaction to her wedding dress.

Editor’s Note: This post originally published in April 2023.