A Civil Rights Icon Shares His Story In Owensboro

The civil rights pioneer known as the "Youngest Freedom Rider" is coming to Kentucky Wesleyan College in March to share his powerful and inspirational story.

Hezekiah Watkins was just 13-years-old when he was arrested at a segregated Greyhound Bus station in Jackson, Mississippi. Watkins wasn't a Freedom Rider at the time, but he had heard of them.

WHO WERE THE FREEDOM RIDERS?

Jackson's bus station, like nearly all of them in the Deep South, was strictly segregated. Hezekiah and another teenage friend went down to the station hoping to see the black, white, and brown Freedom Riders arrive in solidarity. Black people riding alongside white people was something they had only been able to see on television.

His friend decided to play a joke on Hezekiah that would instantly change the trajectory of his life. The friend pushed him through the 'Whites Only' door of the bus station and Hezekiah was immediately apprehended by a policeman. He was whisked two hours away to the notorious Parchment Prison, where he was thrown in a Death Row cell for nearly two weeks.

Hezekiah recently sat down with ABC News and shared additional details of his story.

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Yes. Following his arrest, Hezekiah Watkins eventually joined the Freedom Riders. He was arrested over one hundred additional times.

His impact on the civil rights movement is undeniable. He championed change in the 60s and, buy sharing his story, he continues to do it today at the age of 78.

HEZEKIAH WATKINS AT KWC

Kentucky Wesleyan College is proud to welcome Hezekiah Watkins to the Young Auditorium on Thursday, March 12th from 6pm to 7pm.

The event, sponsored by the KWC NAACP and the Daviess County Public Library, promises to be a powerful night of storytelling and reflection, and celebration of progress. The event is free and open to the public.