Lexie Gordon, a 50-year-old African American woman, was one of the victims of the Rosewood Massacre, a tragic event that took place in Rosewood, Florida, in early January 1923. The massacre was a racially motivated attack by white mobs on the predominantly Black town of Rosewood. Lexie Gordon was sick with typhoid fever when the violence erupted. As her home was set ablaze by the attackers, she attempted to escape but was shot and killed.
Her body was then thrown back into the burning house.
The Rosewood Massacre began on January 1, 1923, after a white woman in the nearby town of Sumner falsely claimed that she had been assaulted by a Black man. This accusation led to a mob of white men from Sumner and surrounding areas descending on Rosewood, seeking retribution. Over the course of several days, the mob burned homes, churches, and other buildings, and killed several Black residents, including Lexie Gordon. The official death toll is disputed, but it is believed that at least eight people were killed, with some estimates suggesting the number could be higher.
In the aftermath of the massacre, there were no immediate arrests or prosecutions of the perpetrators. The survivors of Rosewood fled to nearby towns and cities, and the incident was largely forgotten for decades. It wasn't until the 1980s that the Rosewood Massacre began to receive significant attention again. In 1994, the Florida Legislature passed a bill to compensate the survivors and their descendants, acknowledging the state's failure to protect the residents of Rosewood and the long-lasting impact of the massacre on the community.
The Rosewood Massacre remains a poignant reminder of the racial violence and injustice that African Americans faced in the early 20th century. Lexie Gordon's death, along with those of other victims, underscores the brutality of the attack and the deep scars it left on the survivors and their descendants.
