In 1963, fifteen Black girls—some as young as twelve—were arrested in Americus, Georgia for daring to march for freedom. Their “crime” was demanding e
In 1963, fifteen Black girls—some as young as twelve—were arrested in Americus, Georgia for daring to march for freedom. Their “crime” was demanding equal rights in the Jim Crow South. Instead of being treated like children, they were locked away for weeks in the Leesburg Stockade, a filthy, abandoned building with no beds, no working toilet, and little food.
The world might have forgotten them—if not for a hidden photograph smuggled out by civil rights activists. That image of young girls trapped behind bars told the truth
America wanted to ignore: even children were not safe from racial terror.
The Leesburg Stockade Girls remind us that children are often the frontline of justice struggles—and that protecting children means standing against systems that punish them for seeking dignity and safety.
👉 At RosasChildren, we honor their courage and affirm this truth: All children deserve protection.