After their son, 2nd Lt. Richard Collins III, was killed days before graduating from Bowie State University, parents Dawn and Rick Collins vowed to protect future Americans with a bill that makes it easier to prosecute acts motivated in part by hate. They discuss their mission and the foundation they started in their son’s memory with TODAY’s Craig Melvin.
As protests against police brutality and racial inequality continue throughout the country, we sit down with the parents of 2nd Lt. Richard Collins III to discuss their son’s legacy and their hopes that other Americans also convene conversations about racism.
On Monday, the former Maryland student charged with a hate crime in Collins’ killing is set to stand trial, after four different delays pushed it back about two years. But amid the painful setbacks, Collins’ family established a foundation in his honor. They’re pushing for full military honors for ROTC graduates who die before they begin serving, for hate to be better addressed on college campuses and across the country — and, most importantly, for remembrance.