Hezekiah Watkins, who was a 13-year-old civil rights activist when he joined the Freedom Riders in 1961 to protest segregated bus terminals in the South, will give a lecture on Thursday, April 20, at Hopkinsville Community College. The lecture will be at noon in the Riley Lecture Hall in HCC’s Auditorium Building, the college announced in a press release.
In July 1961, Watkins was arrested at the Greyhound Bus Station in Jackson, Mississippi, making him the youngest Freedom Rider in the state that year. He was taken the Mississippi State Penitentiary, known as Parchman, and placed on death row, Watkins describes in the book “Pushing Forward: The Story of Mississippi’s Youngest Freedom Rider” that he wrote with Andrea Ledwell.
“After spending five days at Parchman, Hezekiah’s life would forever be changed. Upon his release, Hezekiah was recruited by James Bevel to officially join the Civil Rights Movement,” the college release states. “He would continue his involvement in Mississippi’s fight for equality, resulting with him being arrested 109 times in the years to follow. These experiences guided him along a path to focus on improving the quality of life for African Americans everywhere, eventually resulting in Hezekiah’s recognition by the 112th Congress of the United States for his service to Mississippi and to mankind.”
Watkins now shares his story with visitors to the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
The Hopkinsville lecture is a free event co-sponsored by the HCC Foundation and the office of HCC President Dr. Alissa Young. All are welcome and lunch will be provided.
