HEZEKIAH WATKINS
Mr. Hezekiah Watkins, a lifelong resident of Jackson, MS, has also been a civil rights activist since the age of thirteen. He graduated from Lanier High School and continued his education at Utica Junior College, Southern Illinois and East Tennessee State University.
Mr. Watkins became a proponent of justice after his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1961, the ‘Freedom Riders’ banned together in Jackson, MS to demonstrate against state segregation laws, and for doing so, 328 people were arrested with the charge “breach of peace.” Mr. Watkins was the youngest to be arrested on July 7, 1961, and placed on ‘Death Row’ at Parchman Prison. He was 13 years of age and an eighth-grader attending Rowan Junior High School. After spending time with and learning from great leaders of this movement such as James Bevel, Dave Dennis, Jerome Smith, Jessie Davis, and Jessie Harris, Watkins continued his involvement in Mississippi’s fight for civil rights and justice which resulted in more than 100 arrests. These experiences strengthen his commitment to improving the quality of life and opportunities for young African American youth and all of mankind.
Mr. Watkins career began as a young entrepreneur, opening a houseware and appliance store. Economics being hard led him to seek full-time employment with Jackson Hinds Comprehensive Health Center for some years and, then later, with Hinds County Human Resources Agency. He presently works with The Civil Rights Museum and was the owner of the Corner Food Market and Deli of Jackson for 28 years until a heart attack in 2012 forced him to close the business.
He continues his activism for justice as a community leader who promotes community and civic involvement in African American youths of Mississippi. His dedication to the cause of Civil Rights was recognized by Congressman Bennie Thompson in 2012.
Mr. Watkins and his wife of 30 years, Chris, have been blessed with three children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
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PUBLICATIONS: Pushing Forward, Hezekiah Watkins with Andrea Ledwell
At the age of 13, Hezekiah Watkins was thrown into the middle of the Civil Rights Movement, one of the greatest social issues in the history of our country.
Pushing Forward is the untold story of Mississippi’s youngest Freedom Rider.
WEBSITE: https://www.pushingforwardbook.com/
LINKS:
The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/15/lens/50-years-after-mug-shots-portraits-of-mississippi-freedom-riders.html
Mississippi Today, https://mississippitoday.org/2019/05/29/pushing-forward-mississippis-youngest-freedom-rider-is-finally-telling-his-story/
CW39 Houston, An Interview of Two Freedom Riders, https://cw39.com/2019/06/21/exclusive-freedom-riders-hezekiah-watkins-and-joan-mulholland-share-their-stories-ahead-of-book-signing/
WLBT3, The Youngest Freedom Rider, https://www.wlbt.com/2019/02/27/black-history-month-how-hezekiah-watkins-became-one-youngest-freedom-riders/
The Northside Sun, https://www.northsidesun.com/news-breaking-news/state%E2%80%99s-youngest-freedom-rider-telling-his-story#sthash.zGX0QOlT.dpbs
Hezekiah Watkins, Jackson MS mugshot, 1961. Age 13