Rose Robinson: Pioneering female leadership at HBCU’s

Alexander Robinson
Associate Editor

“The Forbidden Ceiling – A Black Woman’s Journey in Higher Education” is a book detailing Rose H. Robinson’s chronicle of how she became one of the first female Vice Presidents at an historically black college or university.

Robinson, a Greenwood, Miss. native tells of how she received her bachelor’s degree in 1944 from Jackson College in elementary education, the only major the university offered at the time. She was also the Senior Class President.

“Times were so different then. In the male dominated society, I knew I would need the credentials in order to not be criticized for my perceived incapabilities,” said Robinson.

Robinson was a teacher at Lanier Junior/Senior High School for 1 1/2 years befor taking a three year hiatus to raise her newborn son.

She then completed semester work at Northwestern University and the University of Southern California and finished course requirements for PH.D. at Indiana University; however her dissertation is incomplete.

Times were filled with the turmoil of discrimination for Black America, and Robinson recalls that it was even worse for black women. Some of her struggles came from black male administrators who could not imagine working for a woman. Even Robinson’s female colleagues offered no support.

Robinson states in her book that she declined the position of Vice President of Student Affairs at Alabama State University offered by President, Levi Watkins but was appointed to the position anyway.

“President Watkins’ opinions were the only ones that mattered. He was the person who had the power to appoint me to the position.”

Robinson held the position of Vice President at Alabama State University for six of her total 13 years of service to ASU.

She briefly served as Director of F.O. Alexander Residence Hall Complex under the direction of former president, Jacob L. Reddix in 1964.  However, because she felt that she did not get the full support of the administration to implement the changes she felt were necessary, she returned to ASU a year later with the encouragement of Watkins.

“In the beginning, I found myself caught in a man’s world embellished with inflated, rambling diatribes directed both to the president for choosing me and toward me for accepting … it seemed as if I was not permitted to miss a single step. With help from a few interested persons who believed in my quest, I boldly embarked on my career journey, beginning with the big two foundation steps that consesquently made my ambitious climb possible,” stated Robinson in her book.

The book goes on to further chronicle the ups and downs of Robinson’s career before her ultimate resignation.

Since serving as an administrator in the 1970’s, Robinson has seen more and more opportunities being made available for women.
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he is overjoyed with the appointment of Dr. Carolyn Meyers as JSU’s first female president and  hopes her story is viewed as an example for today’s generation of women to continue to pursue leadership positions, despite challenges.