The Rosewood Massacre was a racially motivated attack on the African American community in the town of Rosewood, Florida, that took place from January 1-7, 1923. The attack was triggered by a false accusation that a white woman in nearby Sumner, Florida, had been sexually assaulted by a black man.
A mob of white residents from surrounding areas descended on Rosewood, a small, predominantly African American community, and began a violent attack. Over the course of several days, they burned homes and buildings and killed an estimated 6 to 27 African Americans. Many African American residents of Rosewood fled the town and never returned.
The Rosewood Massacre was one of the deadliest acts of racial violence in American history and is widely considered to be one of the worst race riots of the 20th century. The massacre went largely unreported and was largely forgotten for decades. It was not until the 1980s when survivors and descendants of the victims began to come forward and tell their stories, that the events of Rosewood became widely known.
The massacre profoundly impacted the African American community in Rosewood and communities across the country. It is remembered today as a sobering reminder of the deep-seated racial violence and discrimination that have been a part of American history, and it continues to have an impact on the people of Florida and the nation as a whole.