The Story of Rosewood

Ingred Thompson Minority Groups 2390. 50 Dr. Dollarhide Texas Wesleyan University Fall 2012 This is the story of Rosewood, Fl. I chose this film because of its sensitive subject on Racism and Discrimination. Rosewood is the true story of a small Florida town, was inhabited that almost entirely by quiet, “middle-class” African- Americans (most of them home and land owners and better off than average at the time. ) On New Year’s Day, 1923, the town was wiped off the face of the earth by angry whites from a neighboring community.

It occurred because of the false testimony of one white woman. The massacre in Rosewood claimed dozens of African American’s lives. At a time when racial tension was incredibly high, the black members of a small segregated community found themselves unprotected from the hatred of the neighboring white men. The director of this movie is John Singleton; he was on born January 6, 1968, he is a film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is a native of South Los Angeles. A lot of Singletons films deal with issues ranging from discrimination, racism, prejudice, and stereotyping.

I will look to explore the different areas of conflict regarding the maltreatment of the African American people. I think that it was so unfortunate for them to be driven away from their homes and life as they knew it. Some of the areas that this film deals with are: Prejudice, Racism, and Discrimination. The conflict theoretical perspective of Weber is utilized throughout the film. The whites were in control of everything, except for the land that the blacks owned (but they wanted to own it too).

Prejudice is found throughout this film among the Anglo-Saxon community because of what one woman claimed happened to her. Prejudice is defined as the tendency to think and feel negatively about members of other groups. The main factor of Prejudice as seen it this movie reflects the same ideas that were learned in class. Stereotyping is also present, just because she (Taylor) didn’t want to be found out she blamed a black man for assaulting and raping her. The fact that the sheriff didn’t really believe her account of what happened, he had to go along with the majority in order to save his ob. This was a case of selective perception, because they only seen it one way, the black man did it. Discrimination on the other hand is the unequal treatment of people based on their membership in a group. Because of what Fannie Taylor said happened to her a whole community suffered at the hands of a group of racist white people. On the morning of January 1, 1923 Fannie Coleman Taylor of Sumner Florida, claimed she was assaulted by a black man. No one disputed her account and no questions were asked.

It was assumed she was reporting the incident accurately. Sarah Carrier a black woman from Rosewood, who did the laundry for Fannie Taylor and was present on the morning of the incident, claimed the man that assaulted Fannie Taylor was her white lover. It was believed the two lovers quarreled and he abused Fannie and left. No one questioned Fannie Taylor’s account and no one asked Sarah Carrier about the incident. The black community claimed Fannie Taylor was only protecting herself from scandal.

Fannie’s husband learned of the incident and became angry. The local white community became aroused at the alleged abuse of a white woman by a black man, which was an unpardonable sin against black men back then to look at a white woman. James Taylor summoned help from Levy County and neighboring Alachua County, who was ending a staged Klu Klux Klan rally leading up to January 1, 1923, on the court house square in downtown Gainesville, where a large number of KKK members had been rallying and marching in opposition of justice for black people.

The accounts of what happened: 12/31/22: On New Year’s Eve a large Ku Klux Klan Parade is held in Gainesville. 01/01/23: Early morning: Fannie Taylor reports an attack by an unidentified black man. Monday afternoon: Aaron Carrier is apprehended by a posse and is spirited out of the area by Sheriff Walker. Late afternoon: A posse of white vigilantes apprehends and kills a black man named Sam Carter. 01/02/23: Armed whites begin gathering in Sumner. 01/04/23: Late evening: White vigilantes attack the Carrier house. Two white men are killed, and several others wounded.

A black woman, Sarah Carrier is killed and others inside the Carrier house are either killed or wounded. Rosewood’s black residents flee into the swamps. One black church is burned, and several unprotected homes. 01/05/23: Approximately 200-300 white men from surrounding areas begin to converge on Rosewood. The negro section is destroyed by fire. Governor Cary Hardee is notified, and Sheriff Walker reports that he fears “no further disorder. ” The Sheriff of Alachua County arrives in Rosewood to assist Sheriff Walker. James Carrier is murdered. 1/06/23: A train evacuates refugees, the Rosewood families, to Archer and Gainesville. 01/07/23: A mob of 100-150 whites return to Rosewood and burn the remaining structures. For over 60 years, the former citizens of Rosewood lived quietly with their grief and fear. Finally, through the determined efforts of Rosewood descendants, persistent journalists, and talented lawyers, the long-buried story was brought to light, and the survivors and their families were compensated with a $2 million payment of restitution from the state of Florida.

Work cited http://www. africanaonline. com/2010/08/the-rosewood-massacre/ http://www. blackpast. org/? q=aah/rosewood-massacre-1923 http://www. displaysforschools. com/history. html http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0120036/ http://www. reelingreviews. com/reel148. htm#rosewood Like Judgment Day: The Ruin and Redemption of a town called Rosewood. D’Orso, Michael. New York: Putnam 1996. 1st Edition. 8vo. 373pp. http://www. africanonline. com/2010/08/the-rosewood-massacre/