The Real Rosewood Foundation, Incorporated is supported by a diverse and nonpartisan Board of Directors, Honorary Members and Volunteers.
Founder’s Message
Lizzie Polly Robinson Brown Jenkins
Epic year, 1992, I began my journey researching, authenticating and documenting Rosewood’s truths as directed by my mother, the sister of Rosewood teacher.
Succinct and to the point, “You must tell Sister’s story, a name she affectionally graced her sister. I had struggled for years since ’92, to let people know that Black lives do matter, even before the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement became a part of our collective consciousness.
The foundation, established in 2003, has sought to preserve knowledge, spread awareness and foster cultural sensitivity around a massacre that wiped out the small black majority community of Rosewood, Florida, nearly a century ago.
Even now, I am committed to keeping the story of the 1923 Rosewood massacre alive. History is who I am. “We are our ancestors replaying and reflecting on the civil rights work laid down by by previous generations building bridges for future generations”. Unless we remember our children will not understand. Remembering is an integral part of moving forward and educating people who did not know the seriousness of hate and injustice.
It is bringing forth awareness of the experiences that Black people in America have endured all our lives. I remember the 1960 civil rights lunch counter sit-ins, F.W. Woolworth store in St. Augustine, Florida. I witnessed by sitting down.
Today it is my work and your work to stand up, stand in solidarity and empower this generation. We must tell what others held secretly. It’s history and that’s who we are.
I have dedicated my life keeping the memory of Rosewood alive. My passion was fueled by the stories my mother told me in second person. Mahulda Gussie Brown Carrier and my favorite Aunt.
I am continuously humbled and honored to meet people and invite them to join in and help make Archer the capital of truth and reconciliation.
Historically anchored,
Miss Lizzie
Rosewood Board Executive Officers
Mrs. Lizzie Polly Robinson Brown Jenkins | ||
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Mr. John M. Jenkins, Sr. | |
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Mr. Pedro Jermaine | |
Vacant – Executive Board Chair
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Mrs. Joy Glanzer | |
Vacant – Treasurer | ||
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Ashley M. Robinson | |
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Mayor Jordan Marlowe, Newberry City | |
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Dr. Kalai Mathee | |
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Mrs. Hazel Gillis | |
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Attorney William “Bill” Cervone | |
Mr. Jamar Hebert Newberry, Florida
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Ms. Anita Jenkins-McCarter Waldo, Florida | ||
Mr. Dwight Samuel, Jr. | ||
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Mr. George Gillis | |
Ms. Princess Cooper SC | ||
Ms. Carol Valesques Richardson Alachua, Florida | ||
Ms. Deandra Caison Alachua, Florida | ||
Dr. Alice Walton Gainesville, Florida | ||
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Mr. Leontre Robinson |
Rosewood Ambassadors
Mr. and Mrs. Ian and Hannah Stone It is with much honor, respect and humbleness I graciously accept your generous donation of the John Wright Historic Rosewood house. It means to me more than words can express when you said, We want to help Miss Lizzie accomplish her vision!” My prayer of worthy praise and perseverance, “I hope to live up to your vision to build and rebuild the deliverance needed to expand the normalcy of our democracy!” I met you January 2021 and never knew you were aware of my Rosewood vision. God at work. “When God is in the plan, the plan is in his hands.” My belief.
Ms. Dale E. Williams
Ms. Rosemary Christy
Gainesville, Florida
Ms. Toni Collins
Chiefland, Florida
Ms. Bailey Sarian
Producer of Dark History Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYEdn3rn8sg&t=1510s
Bailey introduced Rosewood to her listeners and created a match fund for TRRF.
Mr. Freddie Wehbe
Gainesville, Florida
Kimberly Joy Green
Miami, Florida
Ms. Melody Vaughn
Gainesville, Florida
Mr. Rob Murphy
Newberry, Florida
Mr. Gabriel Hill
Miami, Florida
Attorneys Jeffrey and Casey Meldon
Gainesville, Florida
Former Congressman Ted Yoho 3rd District of Florida
Swannee River, Florida
Gabi Bucataru
Filmmaker, pro colorist and digital content creator specializing in creative
storytelling and documentary formats * http://www.photogabi.com
Resides in Chicago, IL
Melvin Huffnagle
Miami, Florida
Janis Johnson Owens
Newberry, Florida
Elizabeth Washington
Gainesville, Florida
Deputy Chief Investigator Darry Lloyd District Circuit 8
Gainesville, Florida
Mr. Chris Mathews
Website Engineer for The Real Rosewood Foundation, Inc.
Software Quality Assurance Engineer / Test Automator
Resides in Maine and Gainesville, Florida
Rosewood Board Chairs
Rosewood Centennial 2023: January 1
Mr. Pedro Jermaine
Rosewood Special Zoning
Mrs. Joy Glanzer
Rosewood Museum and Memorial Director
Dr. Kalai Mathee
Rosewood John Wright’s House Restoration
Mayor Jordan Marlowe
Rosewood Teacher Mahulda Gussie Brown Carrier Scholarship
Ms. Hazel Gillis
Rosewood Peace and Healing Return Ceremonies
Mr. John M. Jenkins Sr.
Rosewood Military Men
Mr. George Gillis
Rosewood Honorary Principal Investigators “The Rosewood Incident”
Dr. Maxine D. Jones Dr. Larry Dye
Dr. David Cloburn
Attorney Steve F. Hanlon, Holland and Knight
Pro Bono Public Lawyer for Rosewood members
Resides in Tampa, Florida
Dr. Jaffus Hardrick, President of FMU
Miami, Florida
Ms. Valarie Hollingsworth-Baker
New York
Dr. Kemba Enaves Waldin
Washington, DC
Bob Johnson, Juneteenth Director and
Atlanta, Georgia
Baba G Black Panther Jewelry and Essence Magazine Coordinator
Atlanta, Georgia
Lucretia Louis,
Micanopy, Florida and LA California
Dr. Carla Hayden, Library of Congress Librarian
Washington, D.C.
Attorney Steve F. Hanlon, Holland and Knight
Tampa, Florida
Coach Steve Spurrier, UF Gators
Gainesville, Florida
Ms. Audra
Ms. Kate Brown, Federal Grant Writer
Tallahassee, Florida
Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan
Gainesville, Florida
Ms. Marie Monroe Ames, Rosewood Descendant ,Martine Goins Granddaughter
West Palm Beach, Florida
Ms. Priscilla Thomas, Rosewood Descendant, Dorothy Goins Hosey, Granddaughter
Tampa, Florida
Ms. Margaret Woodard Jones, Rosewood Descendant. Sarah Woodard Daughter Gainesville, Florida
Ms. Margaret Kruse, Cedar Key Train Conductor William C. Bryce Granddaughter
Bryceville, Florida
Ms. Phoebe Walker Hughes, Levy County Sheriff Robert Walker’s sister
Orlando, Florida
Ms. Leah Kitchen
Houston, Texas
Mr. Freddie Davis, Levy County Sheriff Robert Walker’s nephew
Chiefland, Florida
Mr. Eric Godet, GGCC President
Mr. Joe Johnson, GGCC
Mr. Ian Fletcher, GGCC
Ms. Ilene Silverman, Host
Dr. Charles S. Williams, UF Professor Emeritus Gainesville, Florida
Ms. Elizabeth Lunt
Sheriff Clovis Watson, Jr.
Alachua, Florida
Ms. Amy Gaplin, Frost Museum Curator
Miami, Florida
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Kasicki, Antique contributors
Archer, Florida
Ms. Jessica Shareen
Great great great grandniece of Mary Jane Hall Wright
Resides in New Jersey
Mr. and Mrs. Ian and Hanna Stone and Silas, Donated the Rosewood John Wright home Rosewood, Florida
Ms. Toni Collins, President of Levy County Historical Society
Chiefland, Florida
Kimberly Joy Green, Green Space Miami arts space Miami, Florida
Mr. Freddie Wehbe, Make It Happen Studio Marketing
Gainesville, Florida
Ms. Amy Galpin, FIU Curator at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum Miami, Florida
Former Congressman Ted Yoho 3rd District of Florida Palatka, Florida
Gabi Bucataru, Filmmaker, specializing in creative storytelling and documentary
Chicago, IL
Attorneys Jeffrey and Casey Meldon, UF Gainesville, Florida
Bob Johnson, Juneteenth Director and Festival Organizer Atlanta, Georgia
Baba G Gyname Black Panther Jewelry and Essence Magazine Coordinator Atlanta, Georgia
Lucretia Louis, Micanopy, Florida and LA California
Ms. Rosemary Christy
Gainesville, Florida
Melvin Huffnagle, Law and Order Actor and Playwright Miami, Florida
Janis Johnson Owens, Genealogist and Published Author Newberry, Florida
Ms. Dale E. Williams Gainesville, Florida
Deputy Chief Investigator Darry Lloyd District Circuit 8 Gainesville, Florida
Elizabeth Washington Gainesville, Florida
Ms. Melody Vaughn, Rosewood Healing Homes Initiative
Gainesville, Florida
Mr. Rob Murphy, Poet Laureate, Artist and Writer
Newberry, Florida
Mr. Gabriel Hill Miami, Florida
Rosewood Honorary Principal Investigators “The Rosewood Incident”
Dr. Maxine D. Jones
Dr. Larry Dye
Dr. David Colburn, UF Emeritus
Attorney Steve F. Hanlon, Holland and Knight, Rosewood Pro Bono
Tampa, Florida
Dr. Jaffus Hardrick, President of FMU Miami, Florida
Ms. Valarie Hollingsworth-Bake, International Grand President of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. New York
Dr. Kemba Eneas Walden Washington, DC
Dr. Carla Hayden, Library of Congress Librarian
Washington, D.C.
Attorney Steve F. Hanlon, Holland and Knight
Tampa, Florida
Coach Steve Spurrier, UF Gators Gainesville, Florida
Ms. Audra
Ms. Kate Brown, Federal Grant Writer Tallahassee, Florida
Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan Gainesville, Florida
Ms. Marie Monroe Ames, Rosewood Descendant and Martine Goins Granddaughter
West Palm Beach, Florida
Ms. Priscilla Tillman, Rosewood Descendant, Dorothy Goins Hosey, Granddaughter Tampa, Florida
Ms. Margaret Woodard Jones, Rosewood Descendant. Sarah Woodard Daughter Gainesville, Florida
Ms. Margaret Kruse, Cedar Key Train Conductor William C. Bryce Granddaughter
Bryceville, Florida
Ms. Phoebe Walker Hughes, Sister of Levy County Sheriff Robert “Bob” Walker
Orlando, Florida
Ms. Leah Kitchen, Granddaughter of Levy County Sheriff Robert “Bob” Walker
Houston, Texas
Mr. Freddie Davis, nephew of Levy County Sheriff Robert Walker Chiefland, Florida
Mr. Eric Godet, GGCC President and CEO Gainesville, Florida
Mr. Joe Johnson, GGCC Gainesville, Florida
Mr. Ian Fletcher, GGCC Gainesville, Florida
Ms. Ilene Silverman, The Ilene Silverman Show Gainesville, Florida
Dr. Charles S. Williams, UF Professor Emeritus Gainesville, Florida
Ms. Elizabeth Lunt, sponsored four scholarships for Black students New York
Sheriff Clovis Watson, Jr. former TRRF board member Alachua, Florida
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Kasicki, Antique contributors Archer, Florida
Ms. Bailey Sarian
Producer of Dark History Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYEdn3rn8sg&t=1510s
Bailey introduced Rosewood to her listeners and created a match fund for TRRF.
Mr. Chris Mathews
Website Engineer for The Real Rosewood Foundation, Inc.
Software Quality Assurance Engineer / Test Automator
Resides in Maine and Gainesville, Florida
Rosewood Historians
The work of the Real Rosewood Foundation, Incorporated is made possible by the enduring legacies of the Rosewood historians (past, present and future). Keeping alive and preserving Rosewood history through shared intergenerational knowledge. Four generations of Archer, Florida, Alachua County, historians.
Juliann Sams | 1826-1926 |
Lizzie Polly Sams Brown | 1871-1938 |
Mahulda Gussie Brown Sams Carrier | 1894-1948 |
Theresa Marie Brown Sams Robinson | 1902-1997 |
Dorothy Mae Robinson Brown Sams Samuel | 1932-1992 |
Lizzie Polly Robinson Brown Sams Jenkins | 1938 |

