Reflections on the Rediscovered Dignity of Antonio Mays Jr.

VIDEO: KUOW’s Soundside host, Libby Denkmann asked what my reaction was when I first saw the newly rediscovered footage of Antonio Mays Jr.

By Omari Salisbury

Listen to the full interview

Today, I was privileged to sit down with Libby Denkmann on KUOW's Soundside alongside KUOW reporter and producer Will James. The core of our conversation was the recently rediscovered footage—a video that I filmed in the chaos of the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) back in June 2020. This is footage that captured the words of Antonio Mays Jr., a sixteen-year-old boy, just days before he was tragically shot and killed in the zone.

The Tape: Rediscovering Humanity in the Shadow of CHOP

For five years, Antonio Mays Jr. has been, in many respects, a mystery to the public. Narratives presented by some, including the City of Seattle, have cast him as a criminal or a "thug." His father, Antonio Mays Sr., has been left in the unenviable position of having to constantly defend his son's character.

This rediscovered footage offers an opportunity to restore dignity and respect to a young man's name. In his own words, Antonio Mays Jr. speaks not of violence or malice, but of systemic improvement. He tapped a protest organizer's shoulder because he wanted to speak. What he said was profound for a sixteen-year-old: "I would like to make it known that I wish that the police would have more supervision when it comes to their training".

This statement reveals an ideologue, a true believer, who was talking about "ideas of systemic change". He wasn't advocating to "burn down the system." Rather, he believed in the mission of "serve and protect," but felt the police were not fulfilling it, emphasizing the need for "better training". This is not the voice of a criminal; it is the voice of a concerned citizen asking for sensible discussion about policing.

Seeing and hearing Antonio "speak from the grave" to set the record straight was a powerful, emotional experience. It was a moment of profound realization that Antonio Mays Jr. was who his father had always maintained he was. As a community, we must stop the revisionist history that diminishes or embellishes the context of the Seattle protests and the CHOP zone.

I sincerely hope this footage allows the people of Seattle to embrace empathy. For too long, the prevailing narrative has not permitted the good people of our city to think: "That could have been my son". Antonio Mays Jr. was a young person who left home to make his father proud and "to make a better world for his little sister and for his family," joining the civil rights movement of his generation.

The ongoing civil trial, stemming from the lawsuit Antonio Mays Sr. filed against the city, presents a critical opportunity. This trial is poised to be the last public airing of this unsolved homicide from 2020.

Healing for our city, which still carries 2020 as an open wound, requires a willingness to learn, to ask questions, and to shift previously held positions. By viewing Antonio Mays Jr. with humanity and empathy, we take a necessary step toward closing this wound. It is a moral obligation for those of us who know the truth to prevent history from being rewritten. This young man deserves that recognition.