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Resident Claims 1979 Century Town Limits Amount To Slavery, Discrimination
March 21, 2012
What started as a public hearing on a new land use map for the Town of Century, ended with a woman claiming slavery and discrimination based upon the town limits drawn 33 years ago.
Leola Robinson, a frequent speaker at Century Town Council meetings, made the claims Monday night as the council met in a final public forum before approving a 2025 future land use map. The plan, which cost the town $40,000 to develop and was the subject of numerous public meetings, is required by the state.
Robinson, a resident of 350 West Highway 4, claimed that her “farm” was wrongly annexed into the city back in 1979 when other farmland was not.
“It is slavery and discrimination,” Robinson told the council. “It must be because I am black.”
According to Escambia County Property Appraiser website records, Robinson owns a 19-acre parcel at 7501 Williams Road that is currently zoned for a mobile home. Records indicate three mobile homes are on the property.
Robinson also owns a 28.72-acre parcel at 351 West Highway 4, across the street from her residence, that is zoned improved agricultural and contains two mobile homes. The remainder of the property is wooded, according to property appraiser satellite images.
Current Century council members, some seemingly bewildered by Robinson’s claims, were unfamiliar with the 1979 annexation process and Robinson’s claims of discrimination for the last 33 years by the inclusion of her “farm” in the town limits.
The 2025 future land use map, which was approved Monday by the council, classifies Robinson’s 19-acre parcel as residential while her 28.72 acre parcel remains zoned agricultural.
Robinson told the council that she wants her property removed from the Town of Century. The council voted to have their attorney explore the legality of the request. But town consultant Debbie Nickles told the council that she doubted it would be possible because removing Robinson’s property from the town would create non-contiguous , and likely illegal, town boundaries.
Pictured top: Town consultant Debbie Nickles(foreground) explains Century’s 2025 future land use map as council members Ann Brooks, Sandra McMurray Jackson, Jacke Johnston and Annie Savage look on. Pictured top inset: Century resident Leola Robinson listens as the map is explained. Pictured below: Consultant Debbie Nickles. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
53 Responses to “Resident Claims 1979 Century Town Limits Amount To Slavery, Discrimination”
Apparently there were other properties excluded from annexation that were the same size as Mrs. Robinson’s. Being that this is the case, Mrs. Robinson’s property should have been excluded as well. It seems that the council randomly selected properties to be annexed. These properties just happened to be owned by black families. If you are going to include one property of this size and locality, then include them all. If you are going to exclude one then exclude them all.
Mrs. Robinson appears to be a very strong woman and doesn’t mind standing up for what is right. You can call it what you want: unjust, racism, slavery, or dementia. Bottom line, the decision was wrong and it must be corrected.
It is impressive that Mrs. Robinson own this amount of property. Anyone that owns this amount of property would be concerned about zoning. It doesn’t mean you are crazy. This matter should be fully investigated. When do we stop criticizing and start supporting our neighbors and elders in the community?
Whoa, an African American screaming racism when she does not get things going her way, It is blacks like this woman that keep the lines drawn. If I do not like something I try to see what the reason was. I do not use my skin color. I hope to achieve my mile stones based on my integrity, hard work and intelligence. Not because my ancestors were slaves. Besides that I do not know if they were and she probably does not know whether hers were or not either. And Jimmy Wang Yang, reverse racism is no racism. This woman is a racist. She is just as racial as any Klansmen.
Just reading between the lines:
-She never lost her property at any time.
-By keeping the majority of the property agricultural her taxes will be low and affordable.
-She obviously doesn’t know the definition of the word “Slavery’
To comment on there marks on African’s being dragged over here that is true to an extent.
If you read the beginning history of the slave trade it was the African nation that was poor, overpopulated, and starving and needed money. It was African’s themselves who rounded up and sold their own to the British who in turn sold them to the Americans and to the British Isles, Jamaica and Haiti.
Read your history books. It’s all there.
REGARDING:
“I don’t believe there are very many blacks that have witnessed “slavery” first hand.”
Actually, quite a few have but they are mostly in Muslim countries where it is still condoned, praised and practiced.
Assorted churches are buying their liberty which then convinces them to re-enslave to re-sell.
Personally, I’d suggest donating them shotguns and letting them free themselves.
David for liberty
REGARDING:
“I get called a Yankee all the time like it is slime ”
Well, DUH!
“and I have been in the south almost all my life, ”
AHA! You admit, ALMOST!!
Almost counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and H-bombs.
David for pink slime
Mr Lincoln was the great emancipator, had he lived he would have also been known as the great repatriator. I guess if my family had been dragged from Escambia county and taken in the bottom of a boat to Africa and worked as slaves, I would not be happy either. I would yearn for my culture, my home. People should look at things, from the perspective of others. Empathy.
Why is it that when things go wrong, in a black persons eyes they always scream “Slavery”? I don’t believe there are very many blacks that have witnessed “slavery” first hand. They should thank God they weren’t even born when slavery was happening! All they know is what their parents, grandparents, etc. have “told” them about the subject. Yet, every time something happens to a black person they scream “Slavery”! I really think “facts” have been stretched way out of proportion by the time the kids grow up and remember what they’ve been told over the years.
They all need to “Get Over It” and go on with their lives as normal human beings! The past is the past and I really don’t think that “history”: will ever be repeated nor has it ever been repeated!
Well this is just crazy! It took her 33 years to complain about it, but I have a solution. If it’s possible, zone her out of the city limits. If she is out of the city limits, her presence is no longer needed at town meetings because she will no longer have a vote in anything that the town does. Maybe others would go to the meetings if they no longer felt that everything would turn into a racial debate.
If it will not distort the earth’s orbit too much, take a dry board eraser and marker, and just rezone the Nice Lady’s property. Its not going to cause the sky to fall.
I am not going to get into it about this race thing! There are some who will never let it go and that is sad. What I want to say is quit using that as an excuse for not attending the council meetings.You know and I know that is a cop out! As far as Mrs. Robertson goes I have known her for many years, and she has always been this way, and short of dying I don’t think she will ever change. My mom said stir the pile and the more it will stink, so get a clothes pin or let it go.
Some of you actually sound like racist but you don’t see it that. way.
If this was your land and you hadn’t wanted it annexed or changed
from agri land, you would be screaming any card you had.
How many times on here have I heard about you don’t want government
telling you anything.
The Racist remark she made about slavery is probably the only card
she knows… look at here age. She probably heard for years how
they were treated by the world by her grandaddy when she was young,
and his grand daddy probably had real bad memories of things
most of us never lived or had in our back ground. Personally I get
real tired of hearing people around here yelling about libs. and dems
in a negative fashion on every issue that men I don’t even know have
said or put into law, but that doesn’t stop you from using that card and
saying it like a cuss word. I get called a yankee all the time like it is
slime and I have been in the south almost all my life, along with
all my family, but it doesn’t stop many of you from using that card
and the Civil War was WHEN? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Walk the walk and let the old gal complain, who is she hurting REALLY!
Wow, I’m confused. Which piece of land is she talking about. The 28.72-acre parcel of “wooded” land or the 19-acre parcel of land with the trailers on it. What I would like to know is when did she ever use either piece of land as a “farm?” I do believe that if land is in the city there are certain things that you cannot have on it like livestock. But, I agree with most of the comments that if something does not go your way just bring in “it must be because I am black” card. What a shame.
I’ve never owned slaves. My ancestors, who were Creek Indians, did way back . I have copies of some of their wills where they put a price of worth for each slave named. How awful and truly a dark smear on our history.
But today opportunity is equal for all. I only wish drive, logic, and ambition were. I’m tired of the double standard we are forced to accept now-a-days. There was no equality when our forefathers wrote “equality for all” and it hasn’t improved but is is different now.
We are all Americans and need to start acting like it!
Wow, she was quick to drop that Ace of Spades in this card game!
when will people stop with the”color” game? the issues of future use and annexed property happen all the time. if you want to fight it do 2 things:
1. Vote when there are elections, and vote for those people who represent your interests
2 get an attorney to fight the issues you feel are bias or unfair toward you, but be prepared to spend a boat load of money doinng it
I would think problem is the “Future Land use”. Would be telling Mrs. Robinson and everyone elsecwhatvcan & cannot be done with their property.not real sure- but that’s my understanding.
Not Slavery, Bureacracy.
A legal government has annexed your land. And now there are having a meeting to tell you what you can do with it.
Another one of your freedoms is taken away.
Not Discremination, Equality.
Embrace it. You fought hard for it. You should be proud.
White people go through this sort of thing all the time.
The days of being special because of your color are almost gone.
They shouldn’t zone it, they don’t own it!
End zoning period.
I am sickened to see the disrespect some of you have heaped on this lady….regardless if she is right or wrong in how she views the situation…she does not deserve the remarks made aganist her person…they are degrading to any person but this is an elder and somewhere along the way you have forgotten what respect to our elders means…..and by the way…there is probably not one of us that hasn’t felt at some moment in our life that we had a problem and no one would listen…makes you feel bad…right!
Well the way I read it the City took her land and owes her something.
Knowing that they just incorporated it into the city limits for expansion, over 33 years ago, Century owes her nothing.
If anything the city should look into why she is using “agricultural zoned land” as a trailer park which would mean the land should be zoned residential.
Because correct me again if I’m wrong, you must go before a zoning board to get property zoned for residential to build or move a home on the land and residential land tax is more than agricultural but less than commercial. So Mrs. Robinson may have put her foot in her mouth and owes Century money on back land taxes, and penalties for using the property for something it wasn’t zoned for?
I agree with everyone above who said…”now you know why no one goes to these meetings”…..I think all the century residents should start going for the great laughs they could get from the meetings…hey its a tough economy everyone is out of work its free entertainment…because the meetings are definitely a joke…
Really? Enough of this crap already!!!!!
>>>Annie Fails said “”Give her land back”"
WHat? nobody took her land. It is still her land.
Give her land back. This lady have seen something that all of yall will never see in your lifetime. Crazy lady play the race card. WOW. GIVE HER LAND BACK AND SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN. WHO CARE WHAT IS ON HER PROPERTY!!! HER PROPERTY. MAMMA GOT LAND AND AINT AFRAID TO FIGHT FOR IT. NOT HER KIDS, NOT HER GRANDKIDS, NOT HER HUSBAND, BUT THIS OLD LADY WITH PLAITS. SOMEBODY WILL LISTEN TO HER. THEY HAVE NO CHOICE. SHE GOT TRIED OF GROWING CROPS, DEALING WITH OTHER PEOPLE, IF I WAS HER I WOULD DO WHAT JESUS SAID, WALK AROUND CITY HALL UNTIL THE WALLS COME CRUMBLING DOWN. HAVE A NICE DAY!!!!!
By the picture of her Mrs. Robinson is advancing in age and probably suffers from dementia. If I were the council I would have listened to her pityful story and chuckled and went on with the regular business of the town. She isnt the first and wont be the last elderly person to stand up and tell a story of percieved injustice that seems ridiculous to the rest of the sane population. By having someone “look into it” the town reinforced this type of behavior and they should have instead explained to the poor woman that this is 2012 and what she is complaining about happened over 30 years ago and no more action or discussion would be wasted on the issue.
Racism is a very easy card to throw. And we have rewarded the use of it over and over. She just may get her way sadly. Somebody will want to appease her. Cities all across America expand their borders all the time. Do you think large cities like Atlanta, Phoenix, New York, LA all started out their current size. Give me a break.
This quote is just classic “throw the race card” garbage.
“It is slavery and discrimination,” Robinson told the council. “It must be because I am black.”
My advice is have her get a lawyer and let’s see how far this statement gets her in a court of law. It says a lot about what is on a person’s mind and heart. Tragic that this is the norm in this community. I will never understand the entitlement mentality. Somebody OWES me something.
Seems like her property is a mobile home park, which should be zoned commercial. Therefore increasing her tax liability. Isn’t there a limit as to how many can be on property of this size?
And where does slavery or blackness come into the picture??
And they wonder why no one goes to these things. Who wants to go sit in a room and listen to crapp like this? Unless you’re going to the meetings to get a good laugh,or print a news story, I dont know why anyone would go.
Mrs. Robinson has bigger issues that the annexation of her property. Which is what she should be dealing with rather than wasting the the resourses of the city checking one more time to make sure they were correct.
It sounds to me that she needs to take a good long hard look at herself and just maybe things will become a little more clear for her.
Amazing to me that she would even make such a statement like that after it was voted on and this many years later. Sounds like to me she needs a different hobby.
Just saying a little common sense needs be exercised!
Hello, People. Don’t feel so sorry for this lady. She has been doing this for years. She has always complained about something. I thought she was getting too old for all this stuff, but I guess she will always feel like she’sthe only one mistreated and discriminated against. Bless her! Good luck trying to convince her she’s wrong.
Looks to me like she has a farm of sour grapes.
This is just ridiculous.
Racism?????
Racism of what?
I smell a rat.
And by the way, when your property is annexed…you still own it. You are just now located within the city limits. If she doesn’t want to be in the city limits any longer…why doesn’t she de-annex?
ps–I still smell a rat.
growing trees is agriculture (some would call it silvaculture, but that’s a subset of agriculture)
Wow, waited 33 years to contest annexation, lol!
Having semi-large parcels of land with several mobile homes on it does not constitute it as a working farm. Just wondering….If it is considered a farm, what type of farm is it? Do you have cows or goats and make milk, cheese or sell the cows for meat? Do you plant and grow food or anything else on it for your family or the market? Please share with us how your property is considered a farm and not just a parcel of land like everyone else’s?
Reparations!
This woman’s property was ANNEXED at the same time mine was. It was done when the people of Century and old South Flomaton voted to expand the city limit and change the name of the town to Century. Like everyone else, she still has the same use of her property, the city didn’t actually take it from her. She is no more entitled to compensation than I am, the city doesn’t use her property, it became a part of the city because the people in the area voted for it. As for discrimination, since I’m a white male I don’t guess I was discriminated against back in 1990 when I put in a job application for a lab tech with one of the large companies in the area and was told before I put the application in I wouldn’t get the job even with having the education and experience for it. The reason, due to a court order if a woman, or African American put in a application they would be hired regardless of their education or experience. But at least the government was looking out for me to some degree, they told me I didn’t have a chance of getting the job, but they still had to let me put in an application.
Now yall know why nobody goes to the meeting because the kind people we have up here
The current Presidential administration seems to encourage these claims whether intentional or not. I thought we were supposed to be past all of that but I guess not. I do find it an interesting that so many feel a connection to slavery when they’ve never known or met anyone who was a slave.
She should do what was done the last time slavery was an issue – SECEDE! As a matter of fact, North Escambia in general ought to do that. Let’s secede from the county & form our own county. We are not truly a part of the county anyway. All they want are our votes and money!
Just to clarify for Molino-Anon; they did not condem her property, i.e. take ownership, they just brought it into city limits. So, the city does not owe her anything…heck it might just have increased her property values!
What does she raise or grow on her “farm” Mobile Homes?
now you see why certain people are elected to the council. they pull out the card to reach certain voters. why go watch this circus played out over and over at the meetings.
if there’s that big of an issue with what they want to classify your land as, then sell it and get over it. I don’t care what race you are, money speaks to everyone.
If Century Annexed her property in the late 70’s, she should get it back, or at least compensated monetarily for the properties value when it WAS Annexed. The property value in 1979, not 2012. Any state or government can annex anyone’s land if it is seen as something that is halting the expansion or progress of a city/town.
If the land is not being used by the town of Century it should be given back. If it is being used by the town, or being used to keep the town bounds legal, give her the property cost from 1979 when it was annexed.
Sick of seeing racist remarks from the African American community. No one owes this community of people anything. Quit living in the past. Just because something is done to you or things do not work out the way you want it does not mean someone is being racist or discriminating. I’ve been around the African American community as much as the white community and I hear more racist remarks or perpetuation of racism from the African American community then I do out of the white community.
It’s paranoia… and from paranoia breeds fear, and from fear breeds racism.
I guess I don’t know what the word “slavery” means.
Thanks for letting me know that slavery is actually having your property annexed by a small town and not the practice of purchasing people and forcing them to work.
I didn’t realize that so many Africans had their property annexed by local municipalities back in the 1600’s. We should probably consider rewriting some history books based on this new revelation from this wise elder. The civil war was fought over money and land use. The Egyptians only enslaved the Hebrews to increase their tax base. The enslavement of Africans by other Africans that has existed since before the Atlantic slave trade and continues to this day is really more about smart municipal development than what I thought it was about.
Yikes.
Century is going to have a hard time as long as they have people that want to scream racism every time they take a notion. Knee jerk reactions like that make the town look bad. If I was looking to buy an old sawmill or garage door plant for industrial development, I don’t think I would want to do it in a place where at least some of the population is raised to shout racism every time they don’t get their way. Obviously that is not true of all members of the black community, but the appearance of a volatile environment really does mean something to local and out of town investors.
When all else fails……..Break out the card.
Where does this person come up with slavery and discrimination. Was her property the only property annexed. I bet not. But other citizens don’t go around looking for something to complain about without merit
Raciism runs both ways and I have found that many that use this crutch are just as racist as the ones they accuse.. Many people can claim racism for lots of reasons but just because they claim it does not make it so. So maybe everyone should claim discrimination when they feel they have been justly or unjustly wronged. Zones and laws are dicisions theat must be made and they not be favorable to all but life goes on. Get past your thoughts of hatred and find something to be happy about. These zones may affect others in the same way as you but we have to put these views to rest need teach our children the right way. keeping an old can of worms stirred up will do noone any good. Think of the Indians and the jews all people that have been discriminated against. These things are part of history and all very true but you don’t hear them keep saying because find some powerful positive points and uplift your community instead of pulling it down.
Agreed, it’s hard to move forward when you are constantly being forced backwards… if her land was used inappropriately I am sure she will be paid for it.
Are you kidding me?
No wonder people skip these meetings, you know the ones asked about a while back!
I don’t think this has anything to do with racism. I think it has to do with tax costs and property use. Why does everything have to be a race issue here?
How can a nineteen acre piece of property be called residential?
@jimmy wang yang
You speak for me and a lot of folks in the area. But some folks seem to think it beneficial to keep old hatreds alive. I am surprised to see your statement on here.
I may not speak for everyone, but I know I speak for myself, im tired of reverse racism.