ABSTRACT
The Rosewood affair provides us with an interesting case study because it allows us to see what happens when communities stir up memories of historical wounds, of past injustices that are not always accepted as legitimate instances where the "rule of law" should be applied. Many survivors who escaped the killings and carnage chose to repress their memories and remain silent, but in the 1980s newspaper reporters and descendants of the victims helped to revive interest in Rosewood. In the United States, restorative justice discussions have largely focused on juvenile crime and mediation of disputes, including mediation of criminal offenses, and on specific government grants of reparations and apology. The legislative effort, news coverage, and documentary movies surrounding the event helped to restore the memory of the incident and the individuals affected by it after decades of silence and suppression.
