Marilyn M. Thomas-Houston has spent the past 10 years studying racism in Nova Scotia — but now all of her research is gone.
Earlier this month, burglars broke into the UF anthropology professor’s home and stole more than $11,000 in goods, including TV sets, speakers, jewelery, bed sheets and two external hard drives.
The hard drives contained the culmination of more than 10 years of anthropological research, Houston’s life’s work.
“I’ll try to replace the material things, but I can’t replace my work,” she said. “I’ve done over one hundred hours of interviews. Some of those people are dead now.”
Houston stayed at a Hilton for a week after the robbery. When she came back home, she asked her son to sleep in her bedroom so she could associate it with a family member instead of the robbers who violated her home.
She was in Nova Scotia when the burglary occurred and called police when she returned from her trip on Oct. 3.
Gainesville Police Capt. Ed Book said the officers who responded to the 911 call performed a neighborhood canvass but didn’t come up with any leads.
He said police have the serial numbers of the items and are waiting to see if any turn up.
For the past 10 years, Houston traveled to Nova Scotia to study the fight for equality of descendants of black British loyalists during the Revolutionary War. It’s about the struggle against racism, and Houston is distraught over the loss.
“They took my life,” she said.
She bought her house with large windows so she could enjoy the light.
But she keeps the blinds closed now, and she’s considering purchasing a gun. The police told her it might have been someone she knows.
“It’s very painful for me,” she said. “I’ve always been afraid of animals and bugs, and the only thing I ever trusted were human beings.”
She can’t sleep, and when she does she dreams about the robbers. She wants to know why they did this to her.
Since the robbery, she installed a brand new security system, and even though it’s been almost a month, she still doesn’t feel safe.
“Every time I hear my ice maker, I jump,” she said.
Anyone with any information or leads can call GPD detectives at 352-334-2472.
