Sun staff report

ARCHER - Theresa Brown Robinson, Archer’s oldest community leader and a descendant of the infamous Rosewood Massacre, died Monday at her home. She was 95.

Mrs. Robinson had sheltered her sister, Maulda Brown Carrier, at her home in Archer after Carrier fled the violence in Rosewood in 1923. The massacre of African-Americans, which was depicted in a recent movie by filmmaker John Singleton, was sparked when a white woman claimed she had been raped by Carrier’s husband, Aaron Carrier.

Mrs. Robinson was a homemaker and historian for her daughter, Liz Jenkins’ book-in-progress, “I, Too, Lived Rosewood.” She received a cash settlement from the state of Florida in 1994 as a Rosewood descendant.

She was born and lived her entire life in Archer, attending the Blue Peter School in rural Archer and graduating with honors.

A member of the Female Protective Society since 1959, Mrs. Robinson led the organization from 1975-85. For 83 years, she was a member of the St. Joseph’s Missionary Baptist Church, serving as church school superintendent and teacher, among many other positions.

Mrs. Robinson also served as secretary and president of the Archer High School PTA, treasurer for homeroom fund-raisers, Labor Day organizer, a Senior volunteer, treasurer of the fraternal order of the Heroines of Jericho and secretary of the Church Aid Society.

“The most important thing to her was being a born-again Christian,” said Jenkins. “She was a missionary and got joy out of helping people.”

She was preceded in death by her husband, Hura Robinson, and four children.

Survivors include a daughter, Liz R. Jenkins; a brother, Richard Brown of Williston; 15 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren.