Lewis G. Robinson dead at 84

By JAMES W. WADE III
Staff Reporter

During Black History, month the Call & Post Newspaper wanted to honor a man who believed in fighting for the equality for Blacks during the 1960s. That man is Lewis G. Robinson. Robinson, a civilrightsleader,diedatCleveland Clinic Jan. 24 at the age of 84.

Lewisisrememberedasaleaderandteacherofpeople,whowasalwayswillingtogotheextramile andfightforracialequalityandagainstsocialandeconomicinjustice.Throughouthislife,hespoke outonbehalfofothersandtookpositionsthathebelievedwererighteveniftheywereunpopularatthetime.

Robinson will always be known as one of the pioneers in theClevelandcivil rights movement that made everyone take notice. In an interview with his sons Bruce and Malcolm Robinson whom leftClevelandat an early age, they said they heard great stories about their father during the 1960s.

Robinson a.k.a. The Rifleman was born on Jan. 5, 1929, inDecatur,Ala.He was the fifth of 13 children. He leftDecaturat the age of 15 and headed north toClevelandfor a better life and more opportunities than the rural South offered at that time. He attendedCleveland’sCentralHigh School. In July 1946, at the age of 17, he enlisted in the US Army and served in occupiedJapanuntil November 1947.

Afterhismilitaryservice,LewisattendedCalvinCoolidgeCollegeinBoston wherehestudiedlaw.LewisconvertedtoJudaismin1949ashebelieveditbestsuitedhis philosophyonlife.HereturnedtoClevelandin1951andattendedWesternReserveUniversityand Cleveland-MarshallCollegeofLaw.Whileheneverformallypracticed law,heoftenrepresentedhimselfinmanycivilrelatedcourtmatters.

Professionally, Lewis becameafieldagentfor theIRSandahousing inspector forthecityof Cleveland.Atirelesschampionforhumanrights, Robinsonwasactivelyinvolvedinthecivilrightsmovement inClevelandduringthe1950sand1960s.HewasaleaderandfoundingmemberoftheCleveland Freedom Fightersandco-founderoftheJFKHouse,ayouthcenteronSuperiorAvenue(namedforJohnF.Kennedy andJomoFreedomKenyatta-thefirstpresidentofKenya).

In1964,asnon-violentcivilrightsdemonstratorsandyoungAfrican-Americanchildrenwhowere beingbused toschoolsinpredominatelyWhiteneighborhoodswereincreasinglybeingexposedtoviolenceby unrulycrowds,RobinsonandothersfeltthattheClevelandPoliceDepartmentwasnotadequatelyprotecting them.

Inresponse,Robinsonannouncedtheformationofoneofthefirstrifleclubsinthecountryforthe statedpurposeofdefendingthesafetyof African-Americanchildrenandpeacefuldemonstrators.

LewiswasalsoinstrumentalinmobilizingtheAfrican-AmericancommunitytohelpelectCarlStokes tobecomemayorofClevelandin1967.RobinsonhimselfranforcitycouncilonfouroccasionsfromwardsinGlenvilleandHough.

Rev. E.T. Caviness, who was also heavily involved in the civil rights movement, preached Robinson’s eulogy. “Brother Robinson was a great fighter for justice,” Rev. Caviness said.

In 1970,Robinsonwrotehisautobiography, “TheMakingofa Man”,amemoirofhisupbringingintherural SouthandhistransitiontobecomingacivilrightsleaderinClevelandduringthetumultuoustimesofthe 1950sand1960s.ThisbookwaslaterusedatClevelandStateUniversityinacourseonAfrican-American studiesinthe1990s.

Inthe 1970s, Robinson returned tohishometown of Decatur,Ala. tolaunch a residential construction business. While livinginDecatur,Lewis helped organizeand leadnumerous massrallies anddemonstrations protesting thediscriminatory practicesofthecitygovernmentandlocalpolice.

This culminated withLewisbecomingthefirstAfrican-American torunformayorofDecatur,atownwitha populationoflessthan20 percentAfricanAmericans.Hesubsequently returnedtotheClevelandareaintheearly1980s,relocatingtothecityofShakerHeightswhereheremainedanactivistbyjoining severalcommunityorganizations.Robinson was very good friends with the late Stanley Tolliver who was by his side during most of his days dealing with the law.

“This man will be missed, he was a great soldier for the rights of Blacks in our community,” said Rev. Caviness.

HeissurvivedbyValenteen,hislovingandcaringwifeof 33years,histwosons:MBruceRobinson ofShanghai;ChinaandMalcolm Ari RobinsonofMontclair,N.J.;sevengrandchildren:CandyHerring,Miles Robinson,SpencerRobinson,PaigeRobinson,OliverRobinson,SimoneRobinsonandJordanRobinson; onegreat-grandchild,Quamisha Andrews;and6sisters:ColonelMaryF.Cotton of Burke,Va.;MaggieLove; LoisPickettandCatherineDavisofDecatur,Ala.;SarahHinton ofHuntsville,Ala.;EvelinaBrown ofHawthorne, Calif.;andahostofnieces,nephews,relativesandfriends.