OCALA, Fla. (Oct. 3, 2022) — January 1, 2023, will mark the 100th anniversary of the Rosewood massacre, in which at least five Black residents of the small Levy County community died.
On Tuesday, Oct. 18, the College of Central Florida will host Lizzie Robinson Jenkins, founder of the Real Rosewood Foundation, who will recount her family’s stories of the massacre. The community is invited to this free presentation at 6:30 p.m. in the Ewers Century Center, 3001 S.W. College Road, Ocala.
Today, all that remains of Rosewood are one home and a historical marker on State Road 24, just east of Cedar Key. Last year, the John Wright house was donated to the Real Rosewood Foundation, which works to preserve the history of this community. Jenkins will share the stories of Rosewood that stayed secret for decades and explain why it is crucial to remember this event 100 years later.