Evelyn C. Robertson Jr. - The Robertson Family: Portrait of a Post-civil War African American Family, Challenges and Vision 1860s–present

The
Robertson
Family

Portrait of a Post-Civil War
African-American Family

Challenges and Vision
1860s Present

EVELYN C. ROBERTSON JR.

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2021 Evelyn C. Robertson Jr. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Published by AuthorHouse 12/16/2020

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1056-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1055-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1054-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020924611

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Scripture quotations marked HCSB are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible. HCSB. Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman CSB, and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers

Contents

This book is dedicated to and is a tribute to Robertsons past and present for their trials, sacrifices, and struggles known and unknown, the challenges conquered, and opportunities taken. To God Be the Glory. I dedicate this book to:

My grandfather and grandmother, Crawford Dewitt Robertson and Cora P. Robertson, for their motivation, vision, determination, grit, and hard work. Their focus on self-determination is commendable and awe-inspiring, a model for their generation and generations that followed. Without Crawford and Cora this book would not be possible.

My father and mother, Evelyn C. Robertson Sr. and Pearl B. Robertson, whose love and nurturing made it possible for me and my two brothers to dream, aspire, and become productive citizens and attain success in our chosen endeavors.

To my aunt Myrtle Louise Robertson whose love, sacrifice, support, encouragement, and guidance played an indelible role in helping me navigate the course of life. Without her support this story might have taken a different trajectory.

To my children, Jeffrey and Sheila, and my grandchildren, Malik and Jasmine, always remember that you can achieve anything that you set your heart and mind to.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my wife, Hugholene, for her patience and support in my endeavors to complete this project and her untiring support in our many endeavors throughout our fifty-seven-year journey of marriage.

My daughter, Sheila, for her technical support and assistance with this project. I would also like to thank my other relatives that I approached for bits of information about our family.

I want to also thank my friend and classmate Odell Greene for his photographic support for this project.

Over the course of the past several years quite a few people have asked me when was I going to write my memoir. I never gave this much thought until recently because I have been more focused on the Robertson family history than any personal achievements that may have come my way. After some insistence, it occurred that maybe this is the time to combine both.

As I have aged, I have become more reflective, which I suppose is a natural phenomenon associated with aging. However, I am still looking forward with faith, hope, and anticipation.

I have been very fortunate and blessed to be able to serve in several high-profile roles, and there may be a natural inquisitiveness about my story. During this era, I had opportunities that were unusual for African Americans from the Deep South. I clearly recognize that I have no story without my family. Any success that I have had is inextricably intertwined with my family. I also recognize that young people and children unborn need to know the story of a family that emanated from humble beginnings dating back before the Civil War. I know that without God this story would not be possible.

I hope that readers will be inspired and a spark created as to possibilities, with the understanding with Faith in God, preparation, hard work, determination and perseverance much can be achieved.

As I began this research, I was amazed with the early Hardeman County leaders and institutional associations and relationships with the Robertson family. Some may be vicarious and possibly by happenstance but still significant to me. I will discuss some of these in detail as I focus on my career and achievements.

Attempting to chronicle the history of a family is no easy task. From my early adult life, I had an innate inquisitiveness about my family and its early origins and how it came to be. I must say there are still many blanks that I have still not filled.

I had the fortune of knowing both of my grandparents on my mothers side of the family, Nat and Mattie Robinson Brewer. Nat was born in 1870 and died in 1957, and Mattie was born in 1876 and died in 1962. My mother, Pearl Brewer Robertson, grew up in Bolivar, Tennessee. She was born on May 7, 1912, and passed on April 13, 1999.

On my fathers side of the family, I had the fortune of knowing my grandmother, Cora Pierce Robertson. She was born September 12, 1870, and passed in 1950. My grandfather, Crawford Robertson, was born April 4, 1856, and passed on December 17, 1937. My father, Evelyn C. Robertson Sr., was born July 14, 1909. He was the victim of a homicide on July 16, 1955. At that time, I was fourteen years old and about to enter the ninth grade.

I am very proud of my Brewer heritage, which I have surveyed briefly in an appendix to this present volume.

This book is not a high-five moment about the Robertson family. It is an attempt to provide a humble portrait of an African American Southern family and its survival through the maze called life in uncertain times. It is an attempt to show that resilience, perseverance, strength, and courage have their rewards. It is also an attempt to encourage my children and to motivate my grandchildren and generations to come that the seemingly impossible is possible. I hope that this book can be an inspiration to others regardless of race, color, or national origin.

For the purposes of this presentation, I have chosen to focus on the dominant impact of Crawford Robertson, patriarch of the Robertson family, because of the challenges of the times, his legacy, and his reach, even until this day. Having been born on November 19, 1941, I did not have the privilege or the honor of knowing my grandfather. He died in 1937. I do recognize that I stand on his shoulders. Having grown up listening to family and others talk about Crawford Robertson provided great inspiration. His impact along with my grandmother, Cora, provided inspiration and motivation for their six children and propelled each of them to aspire to be the best that they could be.