TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Education Association (FEA) has honored Timothy Brandt Robinson, a Pinellas County teacher and activist, with the FEA Human & Civil Rights Leadership Award, presented annually to a nominee who has demonstrated support and promotion of diversity and social justice.
Robinson has been an educator for more than 20 years, teaching social studies and African American history. He served on the African American History Task Force for Florida, helping to create accurate and interesting curriculum for Florida’s public school students.
Robinson has a long history as an activist for human and civil rights and has dedicated his life to ending discrimination and remedying the impact of systemic racism. He has collaborated with a wide variety of organizations in pursuit of his goals, including Community Tampa Bay, Indivisible Safety Harbor, Clearwater Urban Leadership Coalition, FAST (Faith and Action for Strength Together) and Equality Florida. A member of the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association (PCTA), Robinson has been the chair of the union’s Human and Civil Rights Committee for the past eight years. Throughout his life, he has never been afraid to stand up and speak out for social justice and human and civil rights, organizing and participating in numerous protests, and speaking to official bodies such as the Pinellas County School Board many times.
In 2021, Robinson successfully pushed back when a parent accused him of “indoctrinating” students. As PCTA President Nancy Velardi describes, “Brandt believes in teaching our complete history, and spoke passionately and eloquently to our School Board, clearly explaining the role of teachers to encourage students to examine deeply all they are taught, reach their own educated conclusions, in preparation for their productive lives in a democracy.” Velardi goes on to state, “I am honored to call Timothy Brandt Robinson a dear friend. I have admired him for many years, stood shoulder to shoulder with him in many of his good fights, and cannot imagine any other candidate more qualified for the FEA HCR Award this year.”
Robinson was honored at the FEA Human and Civil Rights Awards Gala on Oct. 14 at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, where FEA held its annual Delegate Assembly.
The Human & Civil Rights Leadership Award was one of five statewide awards presented at the gala.
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CONTACT: Joni Branch, joni.branch@floridaea.org, (850) 201-3223
The Florida Education Association is the state’s largest association of professional employees, with 150,000 members. FEA represents PreK-12 teachers, higher education faculty, educational staff professionals, students at our colleges and universities preparing to become teachers and retired education employees.
