At 15, This Civil Rights Hero Gave Us the Right to Protest. At 80, She's Watching Trump Destroy It

Rebecca Smalls was one of the youngest plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case that affirmed peaceful protesters' right to due process and free speech. She's worried that her work will be undone.

(Photo on the left, courtesy of The State Archives; photo on the right, courtesy of Rebecca Williams Smalls)

“That is one scared little Black girl,” giggles Rebecca Williams Smalls. “You can see it in her eyes!”

Smalls is referring to a 65-year-old photograph of her teenage self. In the photo, her brother Ike is laughing with other students gathered outsi…