TAMPA, Fla. — When reports of abuse, torture and mysterious deaths shuttered the century-old Dozier School for Boys in 2011, Dr. Erin Kimmerle with the University of South Florida set out to investigate a cemetery on the segregated side of campus and used DNA to reunite the children with their families.
While records suggested the isolated cemetery held just 31 graves, she and her team of researchers found 55. Most of the children were Black.
Dr. Kimmerle spoke to 10 Investigates’ Emerald Morrow about her new book, which details the quest for justice, and the opposition she faced getting there.
NOTE: This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Emerald Morrow: Your new book details the horrors the Dozier School boys endured, and you become a voice for those who did not survive. Why was this so important to take on?
Dr. Erin Kimmerle: What struck me throughout reading all these different stories…is that it was just one example after another life of why civil rights are so critical and so important.
Children didn’t have representation. There was no notification to parents. Some of the boys who were ultimately convicted, for example, were 12 years old, probably completely innocent. And they spent the rest of their lives in prison.
Emerald Morrow: You faced a lot of opposition in getting access to the part of campus where the graves are located. What do you think was behind that?
Dr. Kimmerle: It really just felt it was evident that this was a matter of politics. Or it was about politics. We always tried to make it easy for people to say yes. You know, we read everything out. We were very transparent. We did the research. We did the background. We felt like there was so much support and families were asking for it.
Emerald Morrow: In your book, you talk about what happened at the Dozier School as part of a larger conversation necessary about systemic racism and social justice.
Dr. Kimmerle: These things don't just happen by accident or in a vacuum. It's very much part of a structure that's designed to oppress people based on the color of their skin, economics or other traits.