Remembering the First Political Prisoner of the Ferguson Movement
“I want you to chant Free Sundiata, I want you to chant Free Mumia, Free Leonard Peltier and so on. I want you to chant the names of every political prisoner still behind the walls.” These are the words of freedom fighter and revolutionary Assata Shakur when giving a message to Sundiata Acoli on his birthday. Shakur consistently points our attention to political prisoners and the freedom sacrifices they have made toward the liberation of our people. I would like to remind everyone of the political prisoners who sacrificed their lives in the uprising. They endured endless nights, loneliness, separation anxiety, and psychological trauma while being locked up. Let’s focus on the “Ferguson Kid,” Josh Williams from the Ferguson uprising. After being outside consistently for 5 months since Darren Wilson murdered Mike Brown Jr. on August 9, 2014, on Christmas Eve 2014, Josh was originally sentenced to eight years. The last remaining political prisoner from Ferguson is still locked up. Josh represents the importance of political prisoners making freedom sacrifices. Black people cannot be free without the freedom sacrifices of our political prisoners.
Ferguson set the world on fire after Darren Wilson murdered Mike Brown and his blood soaked body laid in the street for 4 and a half hours. Ferguson frontliner, Tory Russell, explained in Reflections Of A Grassroots Organizer 8 Years After The Ferguson Uprising how much we have to sacrifice in order to get free. This sacrifice for freedom, or what I am calling “freedom sacrifice” requires those who want to be free to give up everything. In Ferguson, they lost jobs, friendships, money, time with their families, some of them, like Josh, went to prison, and ultimately, some of them lost their lives. Josh was only a teenager during the Ferguson uprising in 2014.
Josh wasn’t just any teenager, he gained the respect of other national leaders. He maturely organized with the likes of eventual presidential candidate and movement scholar Dr. Cornel West. His ability to command the room and his boldness and audacity to believe that Black people could actually be free demonstrated that he was destined to be a leader. Josh put in work. He did not back down against the military tanks. He stood ten toes down with the rest of the Ferguson frontliners on an almost nightly basis protesting in front of the Ferguson police department. Not only was he active in the streets he also helped to organize the first major national mobilization, Ferguson October (October 10 – 13, 2014). It was there that 18 year old Josh organizing prowess went to another level and I met him for the first time. Josh just had a particular way about him that was infectious and magnetic. His ability to lead protests with activists in the thousands was amazing to see up close. Josh kept going. Next he went to the national rally against police terrorism in Washington D.C. on November 1, 2014. Then off to Cleveland after the killing of Tamir Rice and around the country doing whatever he could to move us towards freedom.
I also attended the national rally against police terrorism in D.C. and reconnected with Josh. It was inspiring watching this young man in action. Josh was mature for a teen but also willing to learn and grow. He got busy. We engaged in multiple direct actions during that weekend and Josh, a teenager from St. Louis, was out front like a veteran freedom fighter.
Josh was not afraid of anything. As a fearless teenager, he fought with the St. Louis PD and National Guard. In the face of tanks, tear gas, rubber bullets and a militarized police force, he didn’t back down. St. Louis PD arrested him for arson, outside a QuikTrip during a protest of St. Louis PD’s killing of another 18-year-old black male on Christmas Eve. But that’s not what really happened. Josh actually failed in lighting a water bottle on fire. Because Josh was unashamed, out front and vocal about Black freedom, St. Louis PD recognized him and targeted him just like so many other freedom fighters have been targeted throughout the Black freedom struggle. Josh stood in the belly of the beast, unbashingly starred White Supremacy in the face and declared that he would do whatever it took to get us free.
Josh’s story is like so many other Black freedom fighters who have made freedom sacrifices. What Josh really shows us is the real cost of freedom sacrifices. In this war to dismantle White Supremacy, there are prisoners and casualties. We can see the turmoil and angst that Josh is dealing with now but we don’t see the residual effects of these traumatic experiences. There were some other stories on Josh, but they only begin to capture what he is really dealing with. My research has started to uncover what residual trauma and historical trauma specifically means for Black people. Josh is currently dealing with the trauma from being outside during the uprising and being unjustly imprisoned. These traumas are weighing on him in multiple ways. The psychological and emotional toll is clear. It is also clear that Josh is struggling financially and dealing with the stigma of being locked up. Based on my research, what is unclear is what is causing him trauma, to what extent each stressor is affecting him and how much the traumas are hurting him when they are all combined together. As a Black person living in America, Josh was dealing with something. Racism is bad for our health. Not only was Josh dealing with being Black in America but also all of the issues that were affecting Black people in St. Louis. Next we must factor in being in a war zone that was located within the city. It is unnatural to have military grade equipment right within a local neighborhood. In addition to both of those factors, Josh carries the weight of being falsely accused and imprisoned for doing something he should have been doing. When considering all these factors, we may ask: Is he struggling with pre-Ferguson, during Ferguson or being locked up for more than eight years? Then, what will be the emotional toll ten to fifteen years from now?
These questions are important for Josh’s healing. They also point to the magnitude of freedom sacrifices when being locked up. This means that not only is Josh facing this, but think about all the other political prisoners who are dealing with some of the same issues and, for some, we don’t even know their names! All of our political prisoners have made incalculable freedom sacrifices.
Josh made sacrifices. We salute Josh and all the political prisoners from the movement. Josh is part of a long lineage of freedom fighters doing time so that we can be free.
Freedom sacrifices look like going to prison unjustly, doing time, and potentially being forgotten. Let’s not forget Joshua Williams or the freedom sacrifices he made. Because without freedom sacrifices, we will never get free.
Free Josh! Free all political prisoners!
Black Love Fam,
Written by Dr. Travis Harris
Dr. Travis “Hood Scholar” Harris, Ph.D., is a globally recognized and award-winning scholar. He serves as the Director of Black Revolutionary Education for the International Black Freedom Alliance and is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Hip Hop Studies. An HBCU professor, Dr. Harris bridges academia and activism, contributing to peer-reviewed scholarship while engaging with diverse media platforms. His insights have been featured on NewsOne, NPR, Moguldom, The Onyx Report, The New Journal and Guide, and many more.