We began our day at Zion United Methodist Church, where we met Jewel Rush McDonald who shared the story of how her Church was burned down in 1964 and how the three Freedom Riders, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner were murdered for investigating the burning of the church and the beating of the church members including her mother and brother.
We then went on to Jackson Mississippi to the Civil Rights Museum there and met Hezekiah Watkins the youngest freedom rider arrested at age 13!
When he was arrested he was taken to Parchman prison and placed on death row for 13 days.
JFK heard about him and called the governor to have him released. His mother was called by Jackson police Dept. and she thought he was dead. She was grateful to God for her son's life being spared. As a result she wouldn't let him leave the house until he went back to school in the fall.
Zain Bevel an activist asked if he would join the movement and initially he said no. Eventually he changed his mind and asked his mother for permission to be part of the Freedom Riders. She thought he'd be killed like Emmett Till but eventually she consented. In his time as a freedom writer Hezekiah was arrested 109 times, he was the most arrested freedom rider in Mississippi !
"Freedom Riders work for all people, not just black people.
If you don't vote, there's no hope!"
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