Historian tells story of the rosewood massacre news. On january 1, 1923, a massacre was carried out in the small, predominantly black town of rosewood in central florida. The rosewood massacre, the ensuing silence, and the compensation hearing were the subject of the 1996 book titled like judgment day. The rosewood massacre investigates the 1923 race riot that, in a weeklong series of events, devastated the predominantly african american community of rosewood, florida. Discover site of the rosewood massacre in cedar key, florida. Rosewood massacre project gutenberg selfpublishing. A once thriving predominantly black town was destroyed on this site in 1923, and was rarely spoken of until 1982. The rosewood massacre investigates the 1923 race riot that, in a weeklong series of. There will be a march on saturday, july 7 at 10 am in bronson fl which is very close to rosewood in defense of eric oliver who defended himself and his family when a white mob descended on his house a few weeks ago. Gonzaleztennant, a professor of anthropoligical archeology at the university of central florida, recently published a book titled the rosewood massacre. A highway marker is among the few reminders that rosewood ever existed. Annette shakir a direct descendant of rosewood families. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. Revisiting rosewood, florida, today watch jason cochran.
Site of the rosewood massacre cedar key, florida atlas obscura. News of floridas reparations program ran nationwide when it was passed in 1994, on the front. The rosewood massacre rosewood was once a thriving black community in north florida. Philip randolph left the state and called ny home were glad we got him. Today, it is remembered for the rosewood massacre of january 1923, in which over several days, white mobs attacked and killed blacks, and burned most of the buildings in the settlement, which. The number of dead surpassed the casualties of the rosewood massacre in florida and rivaled those of the tulsa riots in oklahoma, but the incidentone of the largest mass murders of blacks in american historyis now largely forgotten. Rosewood massacre of 1923 by vicious white lynch mob in. Rosewood, florida project gutenberg selfpublishing. The massacre was instigated by the rumor that a white woman, fanny taylor, had been sexually assaulted by a black man in her home in a nearby community. Taylor, who lived in neighboring sumner, florida, claimed that a black man had entered her house assaulted her.
In addition to the florida 1994 landmark decision to pay restitution to the ten rosewood survivors, this research has yielded some truly special results, including a newberry, florida, lynching and other unpublished massacres. Under pressure from cultural denial, it became a bizarre secret by the time it was unearthed in 1982 by journalist gary moore, who publicized it first in the st. A documented history of the massacre which occured at rosewood, florida. A white mob burned down the town belonging to their black neighbors, murdered. It was based on available primary documents, and interviews mostly with black survivors of. In 2004, florida declared the former site of the town of rosewood a florida heritage landmark, and a simple marker exists on highway 24. Unknown burial locations of african american citizens murdered in. On january 1, 1923, in sumner, florida, 22yearold fannie taylor was heard screaming. Descendants of the rosewood families later founded the rosewood heritage foundation, which serves to educate people around the.
The house of a black resident of rosewood goes up in flames during a massacre by a white mob in 1923. Today, we hear about how florida deeply embraced jim crow including the rosewood massacre and account injustice toward black families beyond separate water fountains and restrooms. Rosewood massacre a harrowing tale of racism and the road toward. In addition to the florida 1994 landmark decision to pay restitution to the seven rosewood survivors, this research has yielded some truly special results, including the newberry, lynching and other unpublished massacres. Michael dorso, who wrote a book about rosewood, said, everyone told me in their own way, in their own words, that if they allowed. Funding a grant to investigate destruction of rosewood. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. In the mid1800s, one of levi countys presumed slaveholding plantations, documented as outside of cedar. Today i found out about the rosewood massacre of 1923 rosewood, florida was established around 1845.
The rosewood atrocity of january 17, 1923, destroyed the rural african american community of rosewood, florida, in an act of mob violence, but went officially unrecorded. Rosewood massacre from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia rosewood was a small community of nearly 350 people, mostly black, in levy county in central florida, usa. In 2004, the state designated the site of rosewood as a florida heritage landmark. See more ideas about rosewood massacre, florida and history. Remembering rosewood, a website by the rosewood heritage foundation inc, offers oral histories, photos, and detailed information about the history of rosewood, florida. The 1923 rosewood incident was ignored for many years until a group of survivors forced the state of florida to acknowledge the massacre the people of rosewood, a tiny africanamerican farming community in levy county, dared to take a stand to. Daughter of survivor to discuss destruction of rosewood in 1923 222001 st petersburg times. The rosewood massacre was an attack on the predominantly africanamerican town of rosewood, florida, in 1923 by large groups of whites. I lived in tallahassee for ten years and in 2001 i was working for a lobbying group. In 1923, a wild mob of whites, strong, obliterated rosewood, killing as many as 40 people.
The town was burned to the ground by neighboring whites, and its citizens fled for their lives. Because of the pain monroes community suffered, the florida legislature passed a law in 1994 allowing descendants of rosewood to go to college in the state tuitionfree. The town was burned to the ground by neighboring whites, and its citizens fled for their lives, never to return. The rosewood massacre was a racially motivated massacre of black people and destruction of. The rosewood massacre in a small florida town, a lie was told. Most importantly this book relates the rosewood massacre to the florida legal system of justice in 1923.
And a massacre began honoring the ancestors who were slaughtered during the rosewood massacre that started on january 1, 1923. Though it was originally settled in 1845 by both blacks and whites. Rosewood massacre a harrowing tale of racism and the road. This educational book relates the rosewood massacre to the florida legal system of justice in 1923. Jeb bush dedicate a highway sign to the victims of the rosewood massacre. The foundation also offers a scholarship fund for undergraduates descended from black families affected by the massacre. The last of the massacre s survivors, robie mortin, died in 2010 at age 94. Rosewood massacre 1923 on january 1, 1923, a massacre was carried out in the small, predominantly black town of rosewood in central florida. Rosewood massacre a harrowing tale of racism and the road toward reparations. An archaeology and history of intersectional violence. Site of the rosewood massacre cedar key, florida atlas. See more ideas about rosewood massacre, rosewood, black history. Rosewood, florida was an allblack community before it was destroyed by whites in a 1923 race riot. The ruin and redemption of a town called rosewood by mike dorso.
Searchers were led by dogs to the home of aaron carrier in rosewood. Founded prior to the civil war by both black and white settlers, rosewood drew its name from the stands of cedar trees that populated the area. Outside of cedar key, lukens, rosewood, and sumner. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the. A three part series with part two being about remembering rosewood. The rosewood massacre investigates the 1923 massacre that devastated the predominantly african american community of rosewood, florida. The last house in rosewood tampa bay, florida news. A book about rosewood, like judgment day, came out in 1996. Their visit was initiated by a florida journalist, gary moore, whod stumbled on the story of the massacre.
Rosewood is a former populated place in levy county, florida, united states. It was a quiet place that prospered in 1870 when a railway depot was set up to transport the abundant red cedar, from which the town got its name, from rosewood. Back in the mists of 1982 before email, cellphones or gps i was the revealer of that longlost secret. When a white woman in sumner, florida, accused a nameless black man of assaulting her on new years day, 1923, it sparked what would become a vicious. I was also dating a clam farmer in cedar key and when visiting the area, found out from locals that the historical marker that was there before was taken down. A white mob wiped this allblack florida town off the map. Although this book lacks in groundbreaking primary sources, the author is a floridian and he movingly writes about visiting the sites of these atrocities. Jenkins, president of the real rosewood foundation, will share the history of the 1923 massacre as one of several guests providing readings, music and poetry at the florida. Where rosewood once stood is now little more than a rural scrubland along state road 24, a lonely highway in central florida bordered by swamp, slash pine and palmetto. An audience of about 85 gripped onto lizzie jenkins every word as she retold the history of rosewood, florida, a town where black residents were massacred in 1923. The marker sits at the end of fuji scoggins driveway, on. The ruins of the twostory shanty near rosewood, florida, in 1923 where black residents barricaded themselves and. The rosewood atrocity of january 17, 1923, destroyed the rural african american.