Nia Wilson, an 18-year old from Oakland, California, was killed by a white supremacist on July 22nd. She was on her way home from school, and was attacked outside of a BART subway station. Wilson’s sister was attacked as well, and was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Unfortunately, this incident has been identified by some as part of a rising trend of white nationalist activity in the area. As white nationalists and similar groups continue to gain a platform under Trump, more and more of these horrific incidences occur. John Lee Crowell is the name of the man who murdered this young girl, and he already had a long history of arrests and restraining orders. His neighbor even added that, “I think he would absolutely kill somebody if he had something against someone.”
The death of Nia Wilson has greatly impacted the community. A vigil held for her outside the BART station where she was attacked quickly turned into a march toward a bar locals know to be a white supremacist meeting spot. The community also fears that BART did not handle their end of the investigation well, withholding details and photos of the attacker. Cowell was caught due to tips provided by community members, who at least can be counted on to seek justice.
This terrible incident not only provokes sadness and anger from the community, but fear as well. This attack was so clearly racially motivated, that it incites fear in anyone who feels they may be racially targeted as well. It is a terrible loss for the community, and a terrible threat to young women and men of color.
Unfortunately, BART investigators and police hesitate to assure that the attack was racially motivated, saying it is still “under investigation”. Considering the attack was unprovoked by 18-year-old Wilson, and the influx of white supremacist activity in the area, most would say it is pretty safe to assume the motivation.
Another community member, Kenzie Smith, was harassed by Oakland police recently for just being outside and barbecuing, after a white woman called the cops on him. He said Wilson’s death was “a hard loss for us as a community, especially as a young woman of color being slain on a BART.” He too remains critical of the investigation, saying it seemed as though BART was trying to cover the story, instead of get to the bottom of it.
While its important to know who, and what group, is responsible for Wilson’s death, we should remember her for who she was, and find better ways to prevent this in the future, instead of letting white supremacists expand their platform through notoriety. Wilson’s father spoke out saying, “My daughter was everything to me she was so beautiful, so inspirational. I’m supposed to be planning her graduation, not her funeral.”
