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{{Short description|American labor leader (1914–1995)}}
[[File:Bayard Rustin NYWTS 3.jpg|thumb|[[Bayard Rustin]] (l) and Robinson (r) of the [[March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom]] on August 7, 1963]]
{{Infobox person
'''Cleveland Lowellyn "Cleve" Robinson''' (December 12, 1914 - August 23, 1995) was an American [[labor organizer]], and [[civil rights]] activist.
| name = Cleve Robinson
| image = Bayard Rustin NYWTS 3.jpg
| alt =
| caption = In front of 170 W 130 St., March on Washington, [[Bayard Rustin]], Deputy Director, and Cleveland Robinson, Chairman of Administrative Committee (left to right). ''World Telegram & Sun'' photo by O. Fernandez. (Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/100-amazing-facts/who-designed-the-march-on-washington/|title = Bayard Rustin, the Gay Civil Rights Leader Who Organized the March on Washington &#124; African American History Blog|website = [[PBS]]|date = 20 January 2013}}</ref>
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1914|12|12}}
⚫
| birth_place = Swabys Hope, [[Jamaica]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1995|8|23|1914|12|12}}
| death_place = [[New York City]], U.S.
| nationality = American
| other_names =
| occupation = Labor organizer
⚫
| known_for = [[March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom]]
⚫
}}

'''Cleveland Lowellyn''' "'''Cleve'''" '''Robinson''' (December 12, 1914 – August 23, 1995) was a Jamaican-born American labor organizer and [[civil rights]] activist. He was a key figure in the 1963 [[March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom]], for which he acted as the Chairman of the Administrative Committee.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Gates|first1=Henry Louis|last2=Root|first2=Jr {{!}} Originally posted on The|date=2013-01-20|title=Bayard Rustin, the Gay Civil Rights Leader Who Organized the March on Washington {{!}} African American History Blog|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/100-amazing-facts/who-designed-the-march-on-washington/|access-date=2021-07-24|website=The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross|language=en-US}}</ref>


==Life==
==Life==
Cleveland Robinson was born in Swabys Hope, in [[Manchester Parish]], Jamaica. After serving as a local constable and an elementary school teacher, he emigrated to the U.S. in 1944. When he arrived, he took a job in a [[Manhattan]] dry goods store and very soon became active in District 65. In 1947 he owned his own shop; he went on to become a steward, and then a full-time organizer for the union. He was elected vice-president in 1950 and later in 1952 became secretary-treasurer. He held that position until he retired in 1992. When District 65 was affiliated with the [[Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Workers Union]], Robinson held the positions of international vice-president and executive board member of that union. After disagreements with the retail, wholesale and department store workers union District 65 pulled out and organized the [[National Council of Distributive Workers of America]] and Robinson was elected president of the new body. In 1981, District 65 was affiliated with the [[United Auto Workers]]. At that time the union had 33,000 members in 37 states, Canada and Puerto Rico.
He was born in Swabys Hope, [[Jamaica]]. After serving as a local constable and an elementary school teacher, he emigrated to the U.S. in 1944.
When he arrived he took a job in a [[Manhattan]] dry goods store and very soon became active in District 65.
In 1947, he owned his own shop, he went on to become a steward, and then a full-time organizer for the union.
He was elected vice-president in 1950 and later in 1952 became secretary-treasurer.
He held that position until he retired in 1992.
When District 65 was affiliated with the retail, wholesale and department store workers union, Robinson held the positions of international vice-president and executive board member of that union.
After disagreements with the retail, wholesale and department store workers union District 65 pulled out and organized the [[National Council of Distributive Workers of America]].
Cleveland Robinson was elected president of the new body.
In 1981, District 65 was affiliated with the [[United Auto Workers]]. At that time the union had 33,000 members in 37 states, Canada and Puerto Rico.


Robinson was a stalwart of the [[civil rights movement]]. In 1957, he participated in the [[Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom]]. He was the chairman and one of the key organizers of the August 1963 [[March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom]]. In September 1972, he helped to found the [[Coalition of Black Trade Unionists]] (CBTU), successor organization to the [[Negro American Labor Council]] (NALC), and served as its first vice-president.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |url=https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/robinson-cleveland-lowellyn|title=Robinson, Cleveland Lowellyn|encyclopedia=The King Encyclopedia|date=22 June 2017|publisher=The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute, Stanford University|access-date=December 4, 2019}}</ref>
Cleveland Robinson was a stalwart of the civil rights movement.
⚫
He was the chairman and one of the key organizers of the August 1963 [[March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom]].
In 1971, he helped to found the council of [[Coalition of Black Trade Unionists|Black Trade Unionists]], successor organization to the [[National Association of Letter Carriers|NALC]], and served as its first vice-president.


Cleveland Robinson suffered from glaucoma for many years, and was legally blind in 1970.
Robinson suffered from glaucoma for many years, and was legally blind by 1970. His level of commitment and activity was in no way impaired by this disability. He never lost touch with his Jamaican origins and traveled to the island often, keeping up a keen interest in a number of Jamaican-American political, cultural and fraternal organizations.

His level of commitment and activity was in no way impaired by this disability.
Robinson died of kidney failure in New York City in August 1995. His papers are held by the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, [[New York University]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/tamwag/wag_006_001/|title = Guide to the Cleveland Robinson Papers WAG.006.001}}</ref>
He never lost touch with his Jamaican origins and traveled to the island often, keeping up a keen interest in a number of Jamaican-American political, cultural and fraternal organizations.


Cleveland Robinson died of kidney failure in New York City in August 1995.
==Family==
==Family==
His first wife was Sue Eliza Robinson, they had two sons and a daughter.
His first wife was Sue Eliza Robinson; they had two sons and a daughter. When she died in 1976, he married Doreen McPherson Robinson.

When she died in 1976, he married Doreen Mcpherson Robinson.
==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
*http://www.cbtu.org/clevelandrobinson.html

==External links==
{{commons category|Cleveland Robinson}}
*[http://www.cbtu.org/clevelandrobinson.htm Cleveland Robinson, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists] {{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
*http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n19_v88/ai_17445399
*http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n19_v88/ai_17445399
*[[Abdul Alkalimat|Alkalimat, Abdul]]. The African American Experience in Cyberspace. Pluto Press, 1994.
*[[Abdul Alkalimat|Alkalimat, Abdul]]. The African American Experience in Cyberspace. Pluto Press, 1994.
*[http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/tamwag/wag_006_001/ Cleveland Robinson Papers] at Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives at New York University

⚫
{{Authority control}}


⚫
{{Authority control|VIAF=56449403}}
{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Robinson, Cleveland Lowellyn
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH = December 12, 1914
⚫
| PLACE OF BIRTH = Swabys Hope, Manchester, Jamaica
| DATE OF DEATH = August 23, 1995
| PLACE OF DEATH = Bronx, New York
⚫
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Cleveland Lowellyn}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Cleveland Lowellyn}}
[[Category:American businesspeople]]
[[Category:American trade union leaders]]
[[Category:Trade union leaders]]
[[Category:Jamaican emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:American people of Jamaican descent]]
[[Category:Deaths from kidney failure in New York (state)]]
⚫
[[Category:Deaths from renal failure]]
[[Category:1914 births]]
[[Category:1914 births]]
[[Category:1995 deaths]]
[[Category:1995 deaths]]
[[Category:Blind people from the United States]]
[[Category:American blind people]]
[[Category:Coalition of Black Trade Unionists people]]
⚫
[[Category:People from Manchester Parish]]
[[Category:Trade unionists from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union people]]

Latest revision as of 12:22, 11 May 2024

Cleve Robinson
In front of 170 W 130 St., March on Washington, Bayard Rustin, Deputy Director, and Cleveland Robinson, Chairman of Administrative Committee (left to right). World Telegram & Sun photo by O. Fernandez. (Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division)[1]
Born(1914-12-12)December 12, 1914
Swabys Hope, Jamaica
DiedAugust 23, 1995(1995-08-23) (aged 80)
New York City, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationLabor organizer
Known forMarch on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

Cleveland Lowellyn "Cleve" Robinson (December 12, 1914 – August 23, 1995) was a Jamaican-born American labor organizer and civil rights activist. He was a key figure in the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, for which he acted as the Chairman of the Administrative Committee.[2]

Life

[edit]

Cleveland Robinson was born in Swabys Hope, in Manchester Parish, Jamaica. After serving as a local constable and an elementary school teacher, he emigrated to the U.S. in 1944. When he arrived, he took a job in a Manhattan dry goods store and very soon became active in District 65. In 1947 he owned his own shop; he went on to become a steward, and then a full-time organizer for the union. He was elected vice-president in 1950 and later in 1952 became secretary-treasurer. He held that position until he retired in 1992. When District 65 was affiliated with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Workers Union, Robinson held the positions of international vice-president and executive board member of that union. After disagreements with the retail, wholesale and department store workers union District 65 pulled out and organized the National Council of Distributive Workers of America and Robinson was elected president of the new body. In 1981, District 65 was affiliated with the United Auto Workers. At that time the union had 33,000 members in 37 states, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Robinson was a stalwart of the civil rights movement. In 1957, he participated in the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom. He was the chairman and one of the key organizers of the August 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In September 1972, he helped to found the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), successor organization to the Negro American Labor Council (NALC), and served as its first vice-president.[3]

Robinson suffered from glaucoma for many years, and was legally blind by 1970. His level of commitment and activity was in no way impaired by this disability. He never lost touch with his Jamaican origins and traveled to the island often, keeping up a keen interest in a number of Jamaican-American political, cultural and fraternal organizations.

Robinson died of kidney failure in New York City in August 1995. His papers are held by the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.[4]

Family

[edit]

His first wife was Sue Eliza Robinson; they had two sons and a daughter. When she died in 1976, he married Doreen McPherson Robinson.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Bayard Rustin, the Gay Civil Rights Leader Who Organized the March on Washington | African American History Blog". PBS. 20 January 2013.
  2. ^ Gates, Henry Louis; Root, Jr | Originally posted on The (2013-01-20). "Bayard Rustin, the Gay Civil Rights Leader Who Organized the March on Washington | African American History Blog". The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
  3. ^ "Robinson, Cleveland Lowellyn". The King Encyclopedia. The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute, Stanford University. 22 June 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  4. ^ "Guide to the Cleveland Robinson Papers WAG.006.001".
[edit]
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