Lizzie Robinson

Story By: Zondra Victor

Lizzie Robinson Jenkins is an educator, author, historian, and preservationist who bears the weight of her family name. Lizzie grew up during the Jim Crow era in Archer, Florida. Her parents were the safety net Lizzie needed in a segregated society, yet Lizzie felt that she also had to serve as a protector a lot of the time.

“I felt for the rest of my life, I had to be my dad’s protection,” said Lizzie. “I didn’t want to go to college because I felt like I needed to protect him, but I’m glad he made me go.”

Lizzie’s parents were hard-working people, her father being a farmer and her mother, a housewife. They grew up in a familyowned farm, which Lizzie still owns today. Although her mother only had an 8thgrade education, she was the reason Lizzie chose to become an educator. Lizzie received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Florida Memorial College and a Master of Science in Administrative Supervision from Nova Southeastern University.

“If you set your mind to it, you can accomplish it,” Lizzie quoted her mother’s encouraging words. “Black women. We are sharp. We are gifted. We are chosen.”

Lizzie’s immediate and extended family were the inspiration behind the 1997 film, Rosewood, which re-told the story of the Rosewood Massacre. Lizzie hasn’t escaped her family’s story, but she is embracing the pain and turning it into something positive.

“I want to build a museum,” said Lizzie. “Rosewood history needs to be taught in school. [Congressman Ted Yoho] is going to help us get Rosewood’s history in history books.” The site where the massacre took place is now a national landmark. Lizzie is also honoring her Aunt Mahulda’s name by working with the City of Gainesville to erect a statue of her. After her many efforts, the city decided the statue would be free instead of the initial quote of $2,400 that she received. Lizzie has built a dedicated team to help accomplish other goals for The Real Rosewood Foundation.

“If I had to do it over again, I’d do it over again,” said Lizzie. “It’s hard, but [history is] the burden of truth. Now, I have a working board: a state attorney and about 21 members,” said Lizzie.

Being led by her mother’s wishes to complete her “assignment,” Lizzie strives for reconciliation, to be honest, and to be truthful.

“They might hear some things about family,” Lizzie advises other family preservationists, “but history is who we are, good, bad, or ugly. America was built on our shoulders...muscle, sweat, and blood-soaked tears. Without sharing with our generation, we wouldn’t know how important we were. When you are denying your history, you are denying your ancestor’s bravery. Because of them, you are, so you better get your act together and listen!”

Lizzie’s close political relationships, fostered through her work with The Real Rosewood Foundation, has shown her the importance of political strategy in the lives of people in communities around the nation.

When asked if there was any other career she could possibly want, Lizzie said she wanted to be a “political strategist.” Her goal would be to bring people together, instead of attacking one another for their beliefs.

“The future of our nation [is] brotherhood - sisterhood,” said Lizzie. “When God built this world, he didn’t build it for specific people. We are all different, but we are all alike. This world does not belong to us. It took COVID-19 to bring it to our attention. This is His world, this is His country, if we haven’t learned anything else in this world, we’ve learned that He is powerful. We thought it was about us, and it’s not. It’s about calling people and helping people.”