Eroseanna Robinson was a force of nature who used bold and often unconventional tactics to challenge segregation, militarism, and racial injustice. From breaking barriers in public spaces to defying the U.S. government itself, Robinson spent her life fighting for a better, more just world.
Born in 1924, Robinson grew up in an era where racial segregation and discrimination were deeply entrenched in American society. She developed an early commitment to justice, which later manifested in her activism. She became a social worker, dedicating herself to improving the lives of marginalized communities. However, her activism extended beyond community service—she was willing to put her body on the line for her beliefs.
Robinson’s activism began in 1952 when she was working at a community center in Cleveland. She decided to challenge the segregation of Skateland, a local skating rink that barred African Americans. Using a peaceful strategy, she took two Black children and one white child from the community center to skate together, hoping their presence would force the facility to integrate.
Instead, white teenagers harassed them. When Robinson returned with more supporters over the next few days, she was repeatedly tripped, shoved, and physically assaulted. At one point, she was pushed so violently that she broke her arm and required medical attention. Skateland’s management and security teams did not intervene on Robinson’s behalf.
Despite the abuse, Robinson remained committed to nonviolent resistance, a principle that would define her activism for years to come.
While Robinson was making waves as an activist, she was also excelling as a track athlete. By 1958, she had become one of the top runners in the country, earning an invitation to represent the United States in a track competition in the Soviet Union.
At the time, the U.S. government was using Black athletes, artists, and cultural figures to counter the negative image of Jim Crow laws abroad. By showcasing successful Black Americans on the world stage, the government hoped to distract from the racial inequalities that plagued the country.
But Robinson saw through this effort and refused to participate. Speaking to Jet Magazine, she made her stance clear:
“I don’t want anyone to think my athletics have political connotations. In other words, I don’t want to be used as a political pawn.”
Her refusal was groundbreaking. Decades before Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists at the 1968 Olympics, Robinson was one of the first athletes to use her platform to make a political statement.
A year after rejecting the Olympic invitation, Robinson attended the 1959 Pan American Games in Chicago, where more than 2,000 athletes from 24 nations competed. During the opening ceremony at Soldier Field, as the crowd stood for “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Robinson remained seated in silent protest.
At the time, refusing to stand for the national anthem was nearly unheard of, making Robinson one of the earliest known American athletes to use this form of protest to challenge the nation’s racial injustices.
By 1960, Robinson’s activism extended beyond racial justice to include opposition to U.S. militarism. She became a tax resister, refusing to pay federal income taxes as a protest against government spending on nuclear weapons and war. In another interview with Jet Magazine, she explained:
“I have not entered my tax return for 1954–1958 because I know a large part of it goes to armaments. The U.S. government is very active in atom bombs and fallout, which is destructive rather than constructive. If I pay income tax, I am participating in that destruction.”
Her refusal to pay taxes led to her arrest and a one-year prison sentence. But even behind bars, she continued her resistance. She refused to walk into the courtroom and had to be carried in on a stretcher. Once imprisoned, she launched a three-month hunger strike, during which she was force-fed through a tube. Her protest drew national attention, and she was released nine months before completing her sentence.
Today, Robinson is recognized as a foundational figure in the war tax resistance movement, inspiring future activists to challenge government policies through economic protest.
In 1961, Robinson joined fellow activists Wally and Juanita Nelson in a direct action protest against segregated restaurants along Route 40, a major highway connecting Washington, D.C., to New York City. This route was often traveled by foreign diplomats, yet many of its establishments still refused to serve Black customers.
While stopping for dinner in Elkton, Maryland, the trio was denied service at a diner. Rather than leaving, they staged a peaceful sit-in, refusing to move until police arrived. They were arrested and taken to county jail, where they refused to eat or participate in court proceedings.
Dubbed the “Elkton Three” by local newspapers, their protest sparked national outrage and forced a conversation about segregation along Route 40. Their efforts had international ramifications—just three years earlier, Ghanaian politician Komla Gbedemah had been denied service on the same route, causing a diplomatic embarrassment for the Eisenhower administration.
With the slogan “49 Miles of Highway and No Place to Stop and Eat,” Robinson and her fellow activists ultimately helped force the desegregation of these Maryland restaurants.
Robinson’s activism did not stop in the 1960s. She continued to fight for racial and social justice, using nonviolent resistance, hunger strikes, and direct action to challenge systemic oppression. Though she never gained the widespread recognition of other civil rights leaders, her fearless actions paved the way for future activists.
Her work to integrate public spaces, protest government policies, and use her platform as an athlete to make political statements places her among the most radical figures of the Civil Rights Movement. Today, she is recognized by grassroots organizations as a pioneer in both civil disobedience and war tax resistance.
Eroseanna Robinson passed away in 1976 at the age of 52, leaving behind a legacy of resistance that deserves to be remembered alongside the greatest fighters for justice in American history.
Sources:
https://justwomenssports.com/reads/rose-robinson-wyomia-tyus-black-women-activism-sports/
https://www.phillytrib.com/sports/long-before-colin-kaepernick-knelt-a-black-female-athlete-defied-the-us-national-anthem/article_92151f8d-a45a-5651-9a76-e83a2a316926.html
https://www.aaihs.org/black-athletes-anthem-protests-and-the-spectacle-of-patriotism/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2022/02/14/black-women-leading-sports-because-they-always-have-been/9095766002/
