Rick “Tiger” Dowdell’s name and story now live in a permanent place next to the sidewalk on the northeast corner on the intersection of 10th and New Hampshire streets.
A crowd of family, friends, community members and city staff gathered to unveil the historical marker Thursday night, the 56th anniversary of Tiger’s death.
Tiger was a 19-year-old Black man who fought for racial justice in Lawrence. He was shot in the back of the head and killed by Lawrence Police Officer William Garrett in 1970.
The crowd shed tears, chimed in during emotional parts of the talks and raised their fists in honor of Tiger and his legacy.
Sakeim Dowdell, Tiger’s brother, had prepared a written statement, but said it wasn’t sufficient to encompass who Tiger was and what he accomplished.
“This whole community has came together because of Tiger, and Tiger sacrificed his life” to fight the racism that permeated Lawrence, Sakeim said.
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He detailed their family history and the segregation they faced in the city. He spoke of being barred from Lawrence’s white-only pool, Jayhawk Plunge, and the resulting protests.
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Sakeim also said Tiger led the famous Lawrence High School walkout in April 1970 over the lack of Black history in the school district’s curriculum.
“Tiger gave up what he believed was necessary for us to have justice growing up,” Sakeim said.
Tiger’s murder pushed Lawrence to the brink of civil war. Four days later, Harry Nicholas “Nick” Rice was shot by Lawrence police Officer Jimmy Joe Stroud in the upheaval.
The Dowdell and Rice families have worked to see their loved ones memorialized since Chris Rice, Nick’s brother, petitioned the city commission in 2020.
Lynne Braddock Zollner, historic resources administrator with the city, said the markers are a culmination of work from the city, Steve Nowak from the Watkins Museum of History and, more than anything, the Rice and Dowdell families.
“Lawrence history includes moments of pain, loss and unresolved questions,” Zollner said. “Honoring Dowdell and Rice through these education markers is one step toward ensuring those stories are not forgotten, their families are recognized and that the future generations have the opportunity to learn from the past.”
The Dowdell brothers held the Pan-African flag throughout the ceremony as a backdrop for their words and Tiger’s marker.
“Now we have a closure … because this is going to be the Tiger Dowdell, here, for as long as we live,” said Stephen Dowdell, Tiger’s brother.
Sakeim told those gathered that the struggle will never stop. He said Tiger was a martyr and that he loved his brother.
“I do believe that Lawrence has a chance to be what we want to be,” Sakeim said. “… And this is Lawrence, Kansas, if anybody don’t like it, you can walk right down. But right now, Tiger, this community is all I have and all I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
The marker for Rice will be unveiled at 7 p.m. Monday, July 20 at 1241 Oread Ave., across the street from the Mississippi Street parking garage near the Kansas Memorial Union.
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Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at [email protected].
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Jacob Rice (he/him), photo editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since March 2026. He can be reached at [email protected].
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Lawrence Historic Resources Commission defers decision on markers memorializing Tiger Dowdell, Nick Rice
Nearly four years after the conversation began to memorialize two teenagers killed by Lawrence police in 1970, the Historic Resources Commission on Thursday deferred a decision on the design and language of markers that would be placed near the scenes of the killings.
