Reclaiming the Roses: A Conversation with Yvette and Tammy Robinson

There is a specific, electric alchemy that happens when Black joy meets ancestral reclamation. You see it in the architecture of a wide-brimmed hat; you feel it in the gravity of a story long suppressed. In the heart of the “Great City of Newark,” within the sun-drenched walls of ArtFront Galleries in the Teachers Village neighborhood, I sat down with Yvette and Tammy Robinson.

The sisters are the architects of a burgeoning equestrian movement in New Jersey. Yvette, the founder of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Stable Futures Equine Career Initiative, is on a mission to expose minority youth to the sprawling world of horse racing—an industry where Black contributions were once foundational, then forcibly forgotten. Together, through their firm Seven Sisters Entertainment, the duo produces the Jersey Derby Day Experience, an event that marries high fashion with historical education.

Tehsuan Glover: To start, let’s ground this in the history. What was the spark for this? Why was it important to bring this story to the community?

Yvette Robinson: Tammy and I were business partners who started a Kentucky Derby Day event in 2021 just as a way to get out after the pandemic and have some fun. That’s when we began to learn the Black history associated with the Derby. Eventually, it dawned on me that we need to bring this history to our children. They need to know there is more than football or basketball that they can play. There are more sports, more industries—and I started Stable Futures to get Black and minority children exposed to those equestrian careers.

TG: What do you think is the biggest thing people misunderstand about horse racing in America?

Yvette: The most misunderstood part is the narrative that it’s a “white sport.” That is what it has turned into, but it began with Black men who trained, groomed, and rode the horses. The biggest misconception is simply the belief that this is not for our community.

TG: I noticed the red and black aesthetic of the exhibit. Is there a specific symbolism there?

Tammy Robinson: The red, black, and green was intentional for Black History Month. But you’ll also see a lot of roses. The Kentucky Derby is sometimes called the “Run for the Roses” because the winner gets a blanket made of them, so we try to bring that aesthetic into our spaces as well.

TG: The history of the Black jockey is one of immense triumph followed by systemic erasure. How did you decide which figures to highlight?

Yvette: At the beginning of the Kentucky Derby, it was all Black jockeys. We wanted to highlight those 13 jockeys who were the winningest figures in the early years. My personal favorite is Jimmy Winkfield. He was the last Black jockey to win back-to-back in 1901 and 1902, but he faced such racism that he eventually had to leave the country to take his craft where he was more accepted.

Tammy: And just last weekend, we actually had Marlon St. Julien here in New Jersey. He was the first African American jockey to race in the Derby in the year 2000. There was a 79-year gap, from 1921 to 2000, where there was no African American representation at all. Mr. St. Julien was that history-making jockey, and he was gracious enough to bring his experience to us.

TG: Even in the archives, there is a second layer of struggle regarding documentation. Are there figures you weren’t able to include?

Yvette: Yes, there are several jockeys we are unable to find pictures of. That is one of my missions—to find those photos. They were not well-publicized because of the racism of the era; they paid more attention to the horses than the Black jockeys. There are actually 177 prominent Black jockeys from the late 19th century, and I am looking for the names of all of them so they can finally be acknowledged.

TG: Let’s talk about “Living Art.” As Black people, we have an excellent relationship with style. What is your point of view on the beauty within this conversation?

Tammy: Our community is always the “go-to” place to get ideas. It’s the same with the jockeys; they had their own style within their silks. I think from slavery on, we’ve always tried to stand out. We had to use hand-me-downs, so we weren’t just going to wear it like it was given to us. We had to spin it—put our own flavor on it so it became our own.

Yvette: We use our immense creativity to make something nobody else has thought of. Those are the “superpowers” we have. We highlight that at our Derby party. It’s a chance to take it totally over the top. The biggest hat you can find? Times ten.

TG: You’re bringing this energy to the Meadowlands and now to Newark. What’s the feedback been like from the community?

Yvette: They already know to dress to the nines. Last year, the owner of the Meadowlands even came into our space to see what we were doing because the energy is always so amazing. All the staff wants to work our event. Through Seven Sisters Entertainment, we are looking to expand this to be the second-biggest Derby Day event in the United States.

TG: Why was it important to bring this to Newark specifically?

Yvette: Newark is a wealth of information, community, and originality. As Mayor Ras Baraka always says, it’s “The Great City of Newark.” We are happy to have found a venue like ArtFront that would host us and help us bring this here.

TG: Beyond the jockey, what other career paths are you exposing youth to through Stable Futures?

Yvette: There are veterinarians, attorneys, owners, farmers, and farriers. For a single thoroughbred racehorse, there are about 21 different occupations necessary to maintain that horse. We’re going to make that change very soon.

Tehsuan Glover: Finally, I want to talk about the two of you. You’re sisters, business partners, and co-conspirators in this mission. What is it that you enjoy most about doing this work together?

Tammy Robinson: It’s about feeding off each other. Stable Futures has been something Yvette has wanted to do for a very long time, and seeing it finally come to fruition is exciting for me. I enjoy being able to show people what she’s built.

Yvette Robinson: Our personalities are so different, but we have the same moral grounding and the same upbringing. When we put those personalities together, we balance each other out. Because we are working toward the same goal, we can boost each other exactly when we need it.

“We use our immense creativity to make something nobody else has thought of. Those are the ‘superpowers’ we have.” — Yvette Robinson

TG: It’s clear that for you, this isn’t just about a race. It’s about the culture.

Yvette: Exactly. We’re trying to embody what they’re doing in Kentucky, bring it here, and do it “Jersey Style.” That means a lot of flavor, amazing energy, and making sure our community understands that this is something Black people have a real stake in.

The Jersey Derby Day Experience Weekend

Produced by Seven Sisters Entertainment

• Friday, May 1st: Jazz Speakeasy at Annabella’s House of Mozzarella featuring “The Daddy Rabbit.”
• Saturday, May 2nd: The Jersey Derby Day Experience (3:30 PM) at The Meadowlands.
• Support the Mission: Stable Futures Equine Career Initiative is a registered 501(c)(3).
• More Info: Visit StableFuturesECI.org to subscribe for updates and purchase tickets.