02/18/2026
Honoring My Aunt, Rosa B. Williams, During Black History Month
Black History Month is a time to remember the people who made change possible, not only the well known names in history books, but the ones who lived it every day in their own communities. This year, that remembrance feels very close to home as we honor my aunt, Rosa B. Williams.
To many in Gainesville, Florida, she was an activist, an organizer, and a steady voice for justice. To our family, she was Aunt Rosa, strong minded, caring, and never afraid to speak up when something was not right.
She lived through segregation and did not just accept it as the way things are. She worked to register voters. She stood up for equal access. She showed up again and again for her community. She believed people deserved fairness and opportunity, and she carried that belief into action.
The Rosa B. Williams Center carries her name, but her legacy is more than a building. It lives in the people she encouraged, the doors she helped open, and the example she set.
During Black History Month, I am especially proud to say her name. I am proud of the life she lived and the courage she showed. She was not just part of history. She helped shape it right where she was.
Rest peacefully, Aunt Rosa. We will carry your legacy forward.
