Longtime Gainesville Civil Rights Movement activist and community leader Rosa B. Williams, 92, died on Thursday, the city announced.  

Williams was born in 1933 and started her career of activism during the Civil Rights Movement. The city said she uncovered discriminatory hiring practices by applying for jobs with white counterparts and became the first Black Gainesville resident to get a public library card.  

Off NW First Street lies the Rosa B. Williams Center, named in her honor. On the grounds of the former Union Academy, the center is a hub for art, dance and learning.   

“She was simply Ms. Rosa,” said former City Manager Cynthia Curry in a city release. “However, the challenges she faced and turned into opportunities for this community were no simple feats. She is a legend. She was tiny and unassuming, but so powerful as she fought for justice, equality and—in particular—for the safety and future of our young people.” 

Williams co-founded the Reichert House Youth Academy with Richard Baxter and former Police Chief Tony Jones. She was also a member of the Black-on-Black Crime Task Force. 

“Rosa B. Williams will be remembered not only for the barriers she broke and the battles she fought, but for the countless lives she touched along the way,” Gainesville said on its Facebook. “May she rest in power.”