▁up ▁in ▁pover ty , ▁Rol la ▁became ▁a ▁civil ▁rights ▁leader ▁and ▁community ▁activ ist ▁in ▁the ▁Dallas - F ort ▁W orth ▁Metro plex . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁she ▁founded ▁the ▁T arr ant ▁County ▁Black ▁Historical ▁and ▁Gene alog ical ▁Society , ▁whose ▁history ▁museum ▁is ▁named ▁in ▁honor ▁of ▁Rol la . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁ ▁Len ora ▁Rol la ▁( née ▁Butler ) ▁was ▁born ▁March ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁near ▁the ▁towns ▁of ▁Palest ine ▁and ▁Ne ches ▁in ▁rural ▁East ▁Texas , ▁and ▁raised ▁by ▁her ▁grand par ents ▁in ▁Ne ches ▁until ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁five . ▁Her ▁grand father , ▁William ▁Hall , ▁was ▁a ▁former ▁slave ▁from ▁Mississippi ; ▁her ▁grand m other , ▁also ▁born ▁into ▁sla very , ▁had ▁been ▁given ▁as ▁a ▁wed ding ▁gift ▁to ▁a ▁white ▁couple ▁who ▁came ▁to ▁Texas ▁from ▁South ▁Carolina . ▁Len ora ' s ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁far mer ▁and ▁her ▁mother , ▁Am anda ▁Hall , ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁ma id ▁in ▁Fort ▁W orth , ▁sending ▁money ▁back ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁family . ▁Len ora ▁spent ▁the ▁sum mers ▁in ▁Fort ▁W orth ▁with ▁her ▁mother ▁until ▁she ▁moved ▁there ▁perman ently ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 , ▁living ▁in ▁servants ' ▁qu arters ▁and ▁helping ▁her ▁mother ▁with ▁la und ry ▁and ▁iron ing . ▁ ▁Rol la ▁attended ▁the ▁Cooper ▁Street ▁School ▁in ▁Tre ze v