Medgar Evers

Dates:

July 2, 1925- June 12, 1963

Occupation:

civil rights activist

Medgar Wiley Evers was born on July 2, 1925 in Decatur, Mississippi. He was a World War II veteran and received honorable discharged in 1946. Evers returned to Mississippi and began attending Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College. In his senior year, he married Alcorn student Myrlie Beasley. In 1952, he received his bachelor's degree and began working as an insurance salesman.

Evers Joins the NAACP

In addition to working, Evers dedicated his time to working on behalf of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). When the United States Supreme Court made its ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) to end segregation in public schools, Evers decided to test the decision by applying to the University of Mississippi Law School. His attempt was unsuccessful.

Shortly thereafter, Evers moved to Jackson, Mississippi, where he became the first Mississippi field secretary for the NAACP. His job involved recruiting members, voter registration drives, economic boycotts, and political sit-ins.

Evers is Murdered

Because of Evers' new position, he soon became the target of violent threats. A threat was soon carried out in May 1963 when his home was firebombed. Neither Evers nor his family was hurt. However, the second threat carried out was fatal. On June 12, 1963, Evers was shot in the back in the driveway of his home. He died within an hour at a local hospital.

Evers’ Work is Remembered

Evers received full military honors at his burial in Arlington National Cemetery. In 1963, Evers was posthumously awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP. In 1970, Medgar Evers College was founded in his honor. It is a senior college of the City University of New York.

Evers’ Murderer is Convicted

After a police and FBI investigation into the murder of Evers, it was determined that Byron De La Beckwith, the founding member of Mississippi's White Citizens Council, was responsible. All white juries tried Beckwith two times, and both trials resulted in hung juries. Finally, in February 1994 Beckwith was tried and convicted of the murder of Evers.