Rosewood Newsletter March 20, 2000 Volume 1 Number 1

WELCOME: Rosewood Newsletter for April 2000.

This month online first edition of the Rosewood Newsletter contains authentic information for your enlightenment. It parallels truth to triumph, which evidences details to the fruit of labor. 

MISSION STATEMENT:

The author's mission is to take the emotional remnants of the Rosewood destruction and mount a living monument in the minds of those that were affected directly and indirectly by the Rosewood Massacre. This living monument shall become:

1. A pillar of strength to fight together for democracy.

2. A pillar of courage to resist disparity.

3. A pillar of knowledge to denounce racial discrimination.

4. A pillar of power to destroy inequity.

5. A pillar of determination to end blatant racism directed at the minority population. Lest we not forget! "An important lesson is that crimes of the past should not and must not be forgotten, and that justice can be attained if enough people are willing to work and fight for it!"  (Earl Ofari Hutchinson. )

THE AUTHOR:

The author is a direct Rosewood descendant, the niece of the Rosewood schoolteacher, Mahulda Gussie Brown Carrier and Aaron Carrier. She first heard the story of Rosewood in 1943 at age five. At that time, the story became her shadow and she could not let go. She took it to school with her at age five, to college with her at age eighteen, to work with her as an educator for thirty-three years, and now she brings it to you. She is an accomplished storyteller. She lectures with authority, accuracy and cultural astuteness during her Rosewood presentations. She has spoken at schools, colleges, universities, churches, libraries and institutions.

Excerpts from her book, The Real Rosewood, will be emailed to potential readers before its release. Her goal is to acquaint her reading audience with the real book characters and review facts so that her readers can get the best enjoyment from her work. Supporting evidence of photographs and local news articles will continue to appear on her website. In order not to miss a thing, be sure to bookmark her site. The author received a BS from Florida Memorial College in 1961 and a Master's Degree from Nova University in 1978. She did course-work at the University of Florida. She retired from the Alachua County School System, Gainesville, Florida, in 1994.

AUTHOR'S AFFILIATION:

Retired Educator - Gainesville, Florida - Alachua County
The Real Rosewood - Author
Historian * Poetess * Songwriter * Storyteller * Country Singer

I, Too, Lived Rosewood Foundation, Inc. - Director
Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church
St. Joseph Baptist Church
Florida Memorial College Alumni
Lincoln High School Alumni
Alachua County Retired Educators Association - Newsletter Editor
Florida Retired Educators Association
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. - Area II Coordinator
Florida Zeta Thespian, Inc.
Charmettes, Inc. - Historian
Zora Neale Hurston - PEC
Eastern Star - Priscilla Chapter 13
National Council of Negro Women - NCNW
National Black Child Institute
NAACP
AARP
Florida Trust for Historical Preservation
Florida Humanities Council
Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce
League of Women Voters
March of Dimes
Bethlehem Methodist Episcopal Cemetery Restoration Organization -
Historian Matheson Historical Society Archer Historical Society

THE HISTORIAN:

The author's mother, Theresa Marie Brown Robinson, is the historian for her book. She is also the sister to the Rosewood schoolteacher. She first told her children the hideous Rosewood story when they were very young; five, seven, nine and eleven. Her older children blocked the story out of their minds and never wanted to hear it again. But for the author, you be the judge.

SURVIVORS:

Aaron and Mahulda Gussie Brown Carrier are uncle and aunt to the author. They were married December 19, 1917, by Levy County Judge John R. Willis. Aaron was born in Rosewood, Florida and his wife was born in Archer, Florida. They were a strong team and both survived the Rosewood atrocities. Aaron was a crosstie cutter and his wife was Rosewood's historian and schoolteacher from 1915 to 1923. She received her teaching credentials in 1910. After the Rosewood Massacre she bravely enrolled at Florida Memorial College to further her education, receiving a principal's degree. She courageously returned to Levy County, ten miles from Rosewood and served as principal from 1942 to1945. This was done in the face of adversity while fulfilling a childhood dream. The massacre shattered her dreams, however, she used the obstacles as stepping stones to elevate her vision and empower education.

HISTORY:

The author recounts her family's history to show her readers that hate and racism were in place, and acted out long before the Rosewood Massacre. A friend wrote to inform me that President Clinton's initiative of a nationwide 'Dialogue on Racism' is an effort and an opportunity to fix what has been the most damaging thing to the American system of government since its very beginning. It will work only if all people of color become involved enough to make the system work for them. It is a historically proven fact that when this happens, the system works for all of us. However, it is paradoxical that these same events show that sometimes the system doesn't work as is evidenced by the fact that the existence of slavery, special discrimination, injustice and inequality led to these events. So, while these events are examples of the fact that the system can be broke, they are also examples of the fact that the system can be fixed and will work as it was designed by the great Americans in our history who created it. As more and more people of color have been integrated into the American governmental system and became involved in it economically, judicially, politically and socially, the system has worked for them, as is evidenced by the significant gains that they have made in all of these areas over the years. The chronology of the Rosewood Claims Bill in your book is an objective lesson in how the system works for us when we learn how to work and use the system. Author Unknown

HELP NEEDED:

Please forward this Newsletter to your Internet friends at Black Colleges and Universities, White Colleges and Universities, Black Studies Programs, Black Bookstores, Commercial Bookstores, Humanities Councils, State History Society, Museums, Festivals, Black Newspapers, Metropolitan Newspapers, Internet Book Clubs, Internet Websites, Churches, Black Heritage Trails, Institutions, Popular Magazines, Schools and Libraries in support of: The Real Rosewood History. 

FRANKLY SPEAKING:

"Every Black American, Minority Ethnic Groups and some other folks have lived a Rosewood in some shape, form or fashion," proclaimed Theresa Marie Brown Robinson, the author's mother and book historian. The Rosewood historian is also sister to the real Rosewood schoolteacher, Mahulda Gussie Brown Carrier.

PROUDLY:

Black Americans made history what it is today. Many laws were/are passed to keep blacks in their places. Blacks have nonviolently and noticeably marched and protested to make history work for them, for women and all ethnic groups in America. The last history-making march, integrated to include women and all ethnic groups was recorded March 7, 2000, Tallahassee, Florida. The author was a part of that history-making event.

Stetson Kennedy said, More than any one person, Jacksonville's A. Phillip Randolph deserves the lion's share of credit for prodding America into taking this road to righteousness. For it was he who, while the war was still raging, threatened to lead a march on Washington to demand that all federal contracts include a nondiscrimination clause!

ACKNOWLEDGMENT:

Hillary Clinton recently acknowledged, "Our History is America's History." The Rosewood author encourages you to be proud, receptive and become a historian. If you haven't made a direct contribution to history, your ancestors did, so thank them for their sacrifices and explore your family's history to learn more. Your ancestors were not privileged with technology to research what they shared with you orally, however, they gave you enough oral information to take it to another level for your family. A best place to start family research, "Death Certificates and Census Records."

APPRECIATION:

A special and fervent "thank you" to filmmaker, John Singleton. Had it not been for the courage and determination of John Singleton, you would not be reading this Rosewood Newsletter. Many of us have been critical of his work while others praised his work. In his words, "If I would try to please everybody all the time, I wouldn't be in the movie business." As the author's ninety-five year old pointed, scholarly, free-spoken mother said, That Rosewood movie, Baby, sent out two important messages. It showed that a Rosewood Massacre did happen in 1923 and it let the people know that women do lie on black men. The author supports John Singleton's work, however, when she speaks and questions are asked, she answers with accuracy from her historians silent voices. Many other survivors and descendants have different stories than what you saw in the movie and what you will read in the author's book. There are more than two thousands descendants of Rosewood. And each probably has a different story. People are still calling the author to find their places in this Rosewood history.

THANK YOU:

Florida State Historical Department
Florida League of Cities
Archer City Council
My Publisher
Stetson Kennedy
Earl Hutchinson
Author Unknown

ROSEWOOD FAMILY NAMES:

Visit the author's website: www.rosewoodflorida.com

NAMES FROM PRINCIPAL'S ROLLBOOK:

Visit the author's website.

COMING SOON!

A Revelation: THE REAL ROSEWOOD is written especially for you. The author revisited the town of Rosewood to recap the setting and explore the community. Her goal is to let you know what really happened in Rosewood in 1923. Her book will be in bookstores in late 2000. Just in time for Christmas, just in time to celebrate the seventy-eighth anniversary of the Rosewood Massacre and just in time to open the pages for Black history month. The Real Rosewood is also a historical account of Black history and will serve as a reminder to all Americans.

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WELCOME: To www.silkbooks.com * Rosewood Author's

Interview at: http://neogroup.com/silk/default.asp

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I, Too, Lived Rosewood Foundation, Inc., is a people driven fundraiser geared to raise funds to support the author's objectives; purchase computers for needy children and set up Mahulda Gussie Brown Carrier Scholarship Endowments. Visit the author's fundraising website below in support.