An Elegy To Rosewood Exhibition

This year marked 101 years since the Rosewood massacre and The Real Rosewood Foundation, Inc. (TRRF) continues to keep the history alive during its month-long exhibition.

TRRF and Gainesville Fine Arts Association (GFAA) hosted an exhibition titled, “An Elegy To Rosewood,” on Friday at 1314 S Main St.

Those who are interested to see the exhibit has until March 23 to view it.

The hours of operation for the GFAA Gallery are Tuesdays through Fridays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

According to The Real Rosewood Foundation, Inc., Rosewood was established circa 1855 in Levy County, Florida on a road leading to Cedar Key and the Gulf of Mexico.

On the morning of January 1, 1923, Fannie Coleman Taylor, a married white woman and homemaker of Sumner, Florida, claimed a black man assaulted her. No one disputed her account. No questions were asked.

On her word alone, a vicious mob formed, led by her husband, James Taylor. The mob grew as white residents joined from neighboring Alachua County, where there was a large number of Klu Klux Klan members were rallying at the courthouse square in Gainesville.

For three days, the frenzied mob continued their hunt in Rosewood for any living being killing, raping, pillaging, and burning the town to the ground.

Lizzie Jenkins, the Real Rosewood Foundation Inc. CEO and founder, said the exhibit is filled with paintings about Rosewood, family photographs, and heirlooms from her aunt and Rosewood Massacre survivor — Mahulda Gussie Brown Carrier, who was a school teacher in Rosewood.

“Former Levy County Sheriff Bob Walker did not allow the KKK to burn the house down,” Jenkins said. “He kept them away long enough and put the heirlooms in pillowcases to bring to her.”

Jenkins said the foundation is raising money to build a Rosewood museum in Archer in 2025 or 2026 and it will be called the Mahulda Gussie Brown Carrier Cultural Center.

According to TRRF, the museum will be a tribute to the survivors and descendants of the 1923 Rosewood Massacre.

It will not only educate visitors on the events of the tragic day but it will showcase the history and culture of the African American community in Rosewood.

For more information about how to donate, visit https://www.rosewoodflorida.com

Jenkins said this is the third elegy to Rosewood the foundation hosted thus far.

The first was hosted at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum at the Florida International University in Miami and the second one was hosted at Hannibal Heritage Square Center at Winter Park, Florida.

Each exhibit lasted four months each and the one in Gainesville will last for one month.

“It’s about getting the history out there and we are hopeful to reach the young people so that they will learn who they are and where we came from,” Jenkins said. “I tell people all the time that it’s not about me, it’s about us and history is who we are.”

During the exhibition, attendees looked at the artifacts and paintings and some had the opportunity to watch the Rosewood movie directed by John Singleton in 1997 in a separate room.

Katy Lemle, the GFAA executive director, said that GFAA was founded in the same year as the massacre and felt compelled to open its doors to host the exhibit to allow residents to learn more about Rosewood.

“I’m honored we are able to host it.” Lemle said. “I found that a lot of people don’t know about Rosewood and we want to help them with their mission.”

Artist Pedro Jermaine is known for his artwork titled, “Rosewood: Hope Prevails,” where it depicts a man, a woman, and a child running through the woods to escape the Rosewood massacre.

Jermaine graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts and had a mission to use his gifts to empower the next generation through the arts.

Jermaine met Jenkins in 2016 during a banquet hosted by the Real Rosewood Foundation, Inc. and was hired as the resident artist.

His Rosewood painting was unveiled two years later at the Rosewood banquet and he said during those years, he learned more about Rosewood to create a painting that will capture what happened.

Jermaine said he loves to use his talents to help share what happened to the masses.

“She had to give me the story before I executed the painting,” Jermaine said. “I want to be someone to make a change with art — I didn’t know it would be something with this significant part of history. I am honored to give stories like this a platform and share it with the public. Exhibitions like this are very needed, so many people don’t know the history.”

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