Today is March 1st, an enormous day in Korean history and the present. In 1919, during the Japanese occupation of Korea, 유관순, a 16-year-old student, organized and mobilized people to join the growing resistance movement demonstrating for Korean independence, which eventually came to be known as the March 1st Movement.

Growing up in Korea, I remember the photos and drawings in my texts books talking about how she ran down the streets yelling “대한독립만세!” (Long live Korean Independence!) waving the Korean flag. During this protest 19 were killed including 유관순’s parents. She was captured and tortured by the Japanese and a year later, at 17 years old, died in confinement from the torture and beatings.

While held captive and tortured, she wrote, “내 손톱이 빠져 나가고, 내 귀와 코가 잘리고, 내 손과 다리가 부러져도 그 고통은 이길 수 있사오나, 나라를 잃어 버린 그 고통만은 견딜 수가 없습니다. 나라에 바칠 목숨이 오직 하나밖에 없는 것만이 이 소녀의 유일한 슬픔입니다.” (“Even if my fingernails are torn out, my nose and ears are ripped apart, and my legs and arms are crushed, this physical pain does not compare to the pain of losing my nation. My only remorse is not being able to do more than dedicating my life to my country.”)

She helped move the wave of the movement forward. Every Korean holds the spirit of 유관순 in our hearts, it is part of our DNA.

So too, it is BIPOC young people leading movements today, on the front lines, in the crossfire, leading history. Join, support, organize. The DNA of liberation depends on it.