Are we repeating history?

The youngest Freedom Rider, Hezekiah Watkins, spoke about his life and all that it entailed as a Black activist at Bosse High School on Thursday, February 12. Watkins told us about many impactful and heart wrenching stories from his life, but one specific topic stood out to me the most.

Watkins has been an activist for the majority of his life, has been arrested over 100 times, was beaten so badly during one of his incarcerations that they had to put a plate in his hand, and was put on death row at only 13 years old in the most notorious prison in the U.S. Watkins has experienced more traumatic events and systematic racism in just his teenage years than most people will in their lives, and when he sees what is happening in America today, he is reminded of that time.

“Because I think about the folks… in Minnesota and other places, how their lives are being taken, how they’re being beaten, how they are being moved to whatever location they want them to. Those are some of the same things that [were] happening to us Freedom Riders,” he said. He added,, “They [were] taking up the immigrants and beating them, taking them to different places, [and] splitting their families up.”

Since hearing these comparisons from Watkins, I felt determined to prove him right. I found that his statement of “their lives are being taken” can be supported by several reported accounts of ICE interactions across the U.S. In January, six people died in ICE custody, and two more U.S. citizens died at the hands of ICE agents.  There have also been several claims of ICE agents violently mistreating immigrants and U.S. citizens.

Another thing that Watkins pointed out is that people are being moved to distant locations. According to Alexei Koseff with U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Los Angeles, ICE has been holding detainees in “processing centers for days before being moved to proper facilities and… the Trump administration is again separating families to pressure immigrants to self-deport.” In at least one case in Minnesota, a father, with an open asylum case, and his toddler had just pulled into their driveway when ICE agents broke one of the windows and pulled him and his 2-year-old out. They were then taken by ICE and sent to a detention facility in Texas, a state away from their home.

During the Q&A, Watkins was often asked for advice on protesting civil rights and standing up to authority figures. Watkins advised peace every time. “Just keep protesting, but do it in a civil way,” he emphasized. Later, when discussing the students at EVSC schools planning a walkout, he said, “The only thing I would suggest is to be peaceful and non-violent.” In a split country, hearing “you’re being too dramatic” from one side, and “you’re not being dramatic enough” from the other, I have found it difficult to know how to react to tragedies happening every day.

I believe that Watkins’ comparisons resonated with most people in the auditorium and validated our concerns. Hearing his incredible life story, the audience and I walked away feeling inspired to stand up for what we believe in, respond with peace and civility, and start today.