Bernice Robinson (1914–1994) was an American activist in the Civil Rights Movement and education proponent who helped establish adult Citizenship Schools in South Carolina.

In both 1972 and 1974, she unsuccessfully ran for the South Carolina House of Representatives, becoming the first African American woman to run for a political office in the state.

Bernice Violanthe Robinson was born on February 7, 1914, in Charleston, South Carolina to Martha Elizabeth (née Anderson) and James C.

[4] She eventually opened her own beauty salon and though Robinson worked long hours, enjoyed the financial independence the shop offered.

Esau Jenkins and her cousin, Septima Clark were inspired by the meeting, and began to make plans of how they could increase activism on Johns Island.

[9] Jenkins and Clark convinced a reluctant Robinson that she was the perfect person to run an experimental education program because she did not have formal training as a teacher and would not have preconceived notions of structure or curriculum.

[10] Beauticians were also highly regarded in civil rights work because they had community respect as entrepreneurs and activists,[11] but were also known as good listeners and were unlikely to face backlash from white employers since they were self-employed.

[12] After very little training at the Highlander Folk School on basic human rights, a room was hired and Robinson held her first class on January 7, 1957.

[1] In 1970, Robinson left the SCLC and went to work for the South Carolina Commission for Farm Workers (SCCFW), supervising VISTA volunteers.