Yoho Introduces Bill to Make Rosewood a Historic Landmark

Press Release

Washington, D.C.- Today, Congressman Ted S. Yoho (FL-03) introduced a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the site formerly known as "Rosewood." The special resource study is the first step in designating *Rosewood as a national historic landmark. The National Park Service will conduct the study to determine whether a given site is an appropriate candidate for inclusion in the National Park System.

"The events that took place in Rosewood, Florida, January 1923, are a dark chapter in our state's history and the nation," Rep. Yoho said. "With the introduction of this legislation, we hope to honor those, both white and black, who were unjustly killed as a result of the Rosewood Massacre. In order to learn from history, our society must make sure to remember it. I want to thank my dear friend Ms. Lizzie Jenkins of the Real Rosewood Foundation for her passionate determination to make this happen."

For almost 60 years, this tragedy went unnoticed until 1982 when a reporter for the Saint Petersburg Times began to investigate the Massacre. In 1993, the State of Florida formally investigated and passed a law providing compensation to the victims for the losses and creating a scholarship fund.

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*The town of Rosewood was originally surveyed in 1847 in Levy County, Florida and quickly became a majority minority community. On January 1, 1923, a young married White woman from a neighboring town falsely accused an African American man of assault. This accusation started a riot, which led to an unjust massacre and resulted in the destruction of Rosewood. Survivors fled and resettled across Florida and the town of Rosewood ceased to exist.

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