Dr. Jane (Janie) Marion Alexander Robinson

Janie III Alexander was born in Chicago, Illinois on January 17, 1931, the same year her father C. A. Alexander completed medical school and moved their family to Kalamazoo, Michigan to practice as Kalamazoo’s first black physician-surgeon. He was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her mother was Janie II “Burruss” Goodwin (Alexander), who studied violin for 2 years in the Conservatory of Music at Oberlin College in Ohio before her marriage, was born in Augusta, Georgia. The first born, a boy they named Joy was stillborn. The couple’s second child was Burruss, and their third was Janie III. Mother, Janie II Alexander, was hospitalized with tuberculosis when Jane (the professional name she preferred) was 7 years old.

At that time around 1938, as the United States was gearing up for World War II, women easily earned much higher wages working in the defense industry plants than as housekeepers. And Jane’s parents had no extended family in Kalamazoo to help with the children. Their father asked his parents, Mamie Frances and Chester Richard Alexander to care for them in Chicago, as they were caretakers at 4349 Grand Boulevard (now Martin Luther King Drive). They graciously agreed. Still residing in that home were their children, Chestina Lorraine Alexander, now a visiting nurse, and 10 year old Richard Burnell Alexander.

Jane received her grammar school education at Corpus Christi Catholic School (Chicago) and a high school diploma from Immaculate Conception Academy (ICA), a boarding school for girls (Dubuque, Iowa). Both were run by the Sisters of St. Francis and Clare. She attended Nazareth College (for women) in Kalamazoo for 2 years. Wishing to become a children’s clinical psychologist since she was 16, Jane earned a Bachelors of Science degree in psychology from Howard in Washington D.C. with double minors in philosophy and sociology. She later earned a master degree in educational psychology from the University of Michigan, and became a school psychologist for the Detroit Public Schools. Jane later enrolled at the University of Detroit to earn her Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy degree) in 1977 in Adult Psychopathology. Her internships were at the Hawthorn Center, a hospital for emotionally-challenged children, the University of Detroit mental Health Clinic (for adults) and the Highland Park Community Health Center.

Jane demonstrated leadership skills at an early age. Her daughter called her “The Rosa Parks of the 40s,” because she led a boycott of restaurants of the city of Dubuque, IA. Dubuque was called Little Rome because it had seven hills and on each was a Catholic school. In the windows of almost all the restaurants were signs that said “No Colored Allowed.” (Only two colored families grew up in Dubuque and they were allowed into the restaurants.) On weekends most students flocked to the restaurants in order to mingle socially while drinking sodas. As president of the student council, Jane reminded students at a meeting that this was unfair. She suggested ICA contact the other schools to boycott those restaurants, because this constituted discrimination and was not Christian. It took approximately two weeks for the signs to come down. Now the colored railroad workers could come into the restaurants, use the restrooms, sit down and have a cup of coffee with their bag lunches.

Jane was for 14 years the loving wife of David E. Robinson II, the father of her three children (predeceased in 2011). He was employed in Student Admissions at the University of Michigan. Jane was also the loving wife of John Harvey, Sr. for 1 year (both caught up in the Black Liberation Movement during the early 70s while graduate students). He was employed as a social worker for Highland Park Schools (predeceased).

Jane was a first-grade teacher for 7 years in the Detroit Public Schools. She then was a school psychologist, providing psychological evaluations and serving in a school for emotionally-challenged children. After receiving her Ph.D. she treated children, adolescents, adults, couples and families in her private office in the Fisher Building (Detroit). Jane retired from Detroit Public Schools in 1997 at age 66, and after 24 years of service, continuing her private practice in the Fisher Building until 2008. Her office partners were the doctors Brenda James Lewis and Debra Ann Brodie.

Jane co-founded the Michigan chapter of the national Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) in April 1968, the day after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. ABPsi is an organization dedicated towards 1) freeing the minds of Black people from erroneous and destructive beliefs, for example, Black inferiority, 2) working to meet their real mental health needs, and 3) engaging them in positive rather than destructive behaviors, for example, the struggle for Black liberation here in the United States of America and throughout the Diaspora. On July 20, 2023, 92½-year-old Jane delivered a message before the national Association of Black Psychologists titled “In the Beginning.” The national ABPsi was celebrating their 50th anniversary. Following the presentation Jane Alexander Robinson Ph.D. was given the association’s first and highest award honoring her leadership in founding the Michigan Association of Black Psychologists.

Jane was active for the Bal African Gala to support African and African-American art at the Detroit Institute of Arts, and supported the Carter G. Woodson Association for the Study of Negro Life and History housed in the Detroit Public Library, both before and after graduate school.

As a resident of Highland Park, Michigan from 1965 until 2009, following her retirement, Jane was first Secretary, then for approximately 5 years, President of the United Rhode Island Block Club. She then became the primary organizer of the United Block Clubs of Highland Park, designed specifically to empower citizens during a very critical election in the city’s history.

Jane took up residence at Presbyterian Village of Redford, Michigan for 5 years, after downsizing from her Highland Park home. A descendant of musically-talented ancestors, Jane founded and directed 22 residents as “Performing Artists,” singing, dancing, writing and performing short skits and jokes in order to entertain the approximately 150 residents. She announced the purpose of the performance as an excellent way to relieve stress and anxiety through laughter, and thus increase longevity. In 2014 Jane moved to Phillips Tower, a Presbyterian residential community in Decatur, Georgia to be near her eldest son David III and his family. She established the Performing Artists and they performed annually before the Covid-19 pandemic. She also taught the painting/art class.

Baptized Roman Catholic by sprinkling (and later married) at Corpus Christi Catholic Church (Chicago), Jane and David II joined the First Unitarian-Universalist Church of Detroit. She later joined the United Presbyterian Church of Detroit, then the Highland Park Presbyterian Church. Pressed by both into the role of organist and choir director, one she felt inadequate to fill due to the lack of musical training in church music, she moved away. She became a member of the Hartford Memorial Baptist Church (Detroit), a very large congregation, under the gifted Reverend Dr. Charles G. Adams Pastor, who preached the social gospel. She was baptized through submersion, and became a regular soloist in the Cathedral Choir

Shortly after that, she found and joined Russell Street Missionary Baptist Church not far from her former-home in Highland Park. It was led by the brilliant Reverend Dr. Dee Dee Coleman Pastor. There during Bible class she studied the fullness of the Bible, which she had been forbidden to read during her childhood in the Catholic Church (something that has now changed). Falling in love with the Gospel, she began experiencing a close and personal relationship with God/His son Jesus Christ. With the move to Presbyterian Homes of Redford (MI), however, she rode very far to Russell Street Church on the SMART bus for the disabled, walking on her rollator. After a period of approximately a year, a church member living nearby discovered her plight and graciously stepped in to transport her. She could, however, no longer sing in the choir or attend Bible classes. Jehovah Jireh, her Provider, stepped in, however. A Bible class began right inside her Presbyterian Village home! It was led by an exceptionally gifted and spiritual man, Deacon Jesse Gibbs, from “In His Presence Ministry” (Redford). Her much loved spiritual mentor Georgia Thompson, then 94 years old, also resided at Presbyterian Village.

Following her move to Decatur, Georgia, to be near her oldest son David and his family, she became a member of the First Baptist Church of Decatur. She attended whenever physically able during her final years residing at Phillips Tower, Presbyterian Homes of Georgia, attending Tuesday morning Chapel at Phillips Tower led by the gifted Rev. Amy Dills-Moore and later, the brilliant Rev. Russell Sledge.

Jane went home to be with her Lord following a brief illness. Cause of death was Porcelain Doll Syndrome (Brittle Bone Disease), severe osteoporosis which causes curvature of the spine and kidney failure.

Jane was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, niece, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother, patient, counselor, colleague and friend. She leaves to mourn her three very devoted children: David E. Robinson III (Chijioke), Dr. Amorie Alexia Robinson, Ph.D. (Kofi Adoma) and Richard Allen Robinson; David’s wife Alycia Robinson and his three very devoted daughters, Raziya Credell, Ayanna Robinson Kelso and Briana Noelle Robinson. Jane’s oldest great-grandchild is Marley (Alexander) Credell of La Mesa, California. In Ellenwood, Georgia, Jane leaves a great-grandson David Alexander Kelso and great-grand-daughter Ava-Marie Kelso, and two step-great-grandsons Kayden Kelso and Quentin Kelso. In Chicago Jane leaves her maternal-niece Robin Latricia Alexander-Redd (Chicago) whose mother was Alva Ursela Alexander, wife of Burruss Allen Alexander, Jane’s brother. Robin’s husband Spencer Redd and their infant son Donavan James Allen-Redd are predeceased. Jane also leaves a loving niece by marriage to David Robinson II, Elois Martin Robinson and her children. In Tacoma, Washington, Jane leaves her second-cousin on her father’s side, Richard John Alexander. His brother Brian Thomas Alexander is predeceased. Their parents were Jane’s Uncle Richard Burnell Alexander and his wife Myrtle Manuella Henley Alexander (Oakland, CA). Jane also leaves to mourn her first-cousin Horace Lemuel McDougal, the only living child of Jane’s mother’s twin sister Anna McDougal, her twin departing this life around the age of 74. Jane also leaves to mourn her mother’s third-cousin’s children, the grand-children of Dr. Lucius Harper of Atlanta, GA.

From Jane’s second-marriage to John Harvey, she leaves to mourn her step-children Caprice Harvey Quinn and John Harvey Jr. (Detroit) and their children.

Jane “pretended to adopt” two young people who remained close to her through her final years; Gregory Davis (Ohio) and SpencerTorry Brown (Hamtramck, MI).

Jane wished to thank her very devoted, her beloved certified nursing assistants (CNAs) Edna Dewberry and Ethel Shelton, who took care of her during the last years of life. “We loved each other dearly.” She gave special thanks to her special Service Coordinator at Philips Tower Belinda Asumda and her Administrator Neil Pierce for their excellent care. Jane thanked the Rev. Dr. David Jordan, Pastor, the Rev. Dr. Mark Green, Pastor to Seniors, and members of her Bible class at First Baptist Church of Decatur for their visits, cards and gifts of support. She thanked her medical teams at Emory Healthcare for their devoted attention to her physical needs. She wished to thank the Detroit and national Association of Black Psychologists. She thanked Bernadette Mariama Credell, Dr. Larry Huntzberry (Ph.D Ph.Theo), Renee Hall, Guy Baughs, Mike Nelson, Gwen Singleton, Deacon Eddie Campbell, Millie Kyle, Pinkie Tyson, and a host of loving friends in Detroit, Highland Park, Atlanta, Decatur, Dubuque, and many others who have already made their transition. Jane wished to thank the staff of Medlock Gardens Senior Living of Decatur for their loving care of her during her final years of life.

[Editor’s note: Being our oh-so-professional mother, she wrote her own obituary. She transitioned surrounded by close family and caring nurses and Medlock staff. Her body was cremated and we will announce at her well-planned Homegoing Service either March 14 or 21 at First Baptist Church of Decatur, exactly where to find her.]