Fuerstenau 1 Introduction When many think about the African American Civil Rights Movement, most think about the late 1950s through the 1960s. However, the oppression of African Americans goes back to the early 1600s when the Portuguese captured twenty Africans, brought them to North America and kept them for slaves. 1 From that moment in history the lives of African Americans present and future changed significantly. Once English citizens settled the colonies in North America slaves became an important part of the economy. During the years 1701-1825 approximately 8.4 million Africans were brought to North America as slaves. 2 From 1825 to 1861 slavery continued and became even more important to society, especially in the South, due to their agriculture based economy. During this time period the African American population became more outspoken about their oppression and some white Americans listened. President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, brought the country into the Civil War in hopes to bring slavery to an end. He gave the speech the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 in order to give slaves the freedom and rights that he and many other whites believed they deserved. 3 One of the primary reasons for the Civil War was a primary reason for what became the Civil Rights Movement. That issue was the right to vote. 4 It is after the Civil War that more well known and significant oppression of African Americans takes places. A variety of laws were put in place termed Jim Crow laws which 1 Henry Gates, Life Upon These Shores (New York: Random House Inc., 2011). 3. 2, 49. 3 Abraham Lincoln, The Emancipation Proclamation, National Archives and Record Administration, 1863 (Washington, DC), [http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/emancipation_proclamation/ transcript.html]. Rhoda Lois Blumberg. Civil Rights: The 1960s Freedom Struggle Social Movements Past and Present. ed. Irwin T. 4 Sanders (Boston: G.K. Hall & Company, 1984). 14.
Fuerstenau 2 enforced basic segregation. 5 In 1896 SCOTUS argued and held that Plessy V. Ferguson which said that Jim Crow and separate but equal is okay. 6 These laws and segregation continued up until and even somewhat after the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Famous figures of the African American fight for equality include Harriet Tubman, Nat Turner, Fredrick Douglas, Emmett Till, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. However, these are not the only people involved, in fact thousands of people were involved in the African American struggle, some more important than others. While many of these names people will recognize from a high school or college history class, one name many people may hear and question, who is that, is Medgar Evers. Medgar Evers worked during the late 1950s into the early 1960s before he was assassinated. Without Medgar Evers hard work and determination during the Civil Rights Movement, the outcome may have been different, while we may never know one thing is for sure. Megan Evers was an unsung hero of the African Americans fight for equality, especially in Mississippi, during the Civil Rights Movement. Medgar s Early Life Medgar was born to Mr. James and Jessie Evers on July 2, 1925 in Decatur, Mississippi. 7 James Evers, a baptist and deacon worked multiple jobs to support his family. 8 As well as being a deacon he farmed the land, grew vegetables, and raised some livestock. 9 Because he couldn t support his family just doing these things, he also worked in a saw mill from time to time to 5 Encyclopedia Britannica, Online, s.v. Jim Crow Law. 6 Plessy v. Ferguson, 210, 162 U.S. 537, (SCOTUS 1896). [https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/163/537]. 7 Mrs. Medgar Evers and William Peters, For Us, the Living (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company Inc., 1967). 14. and Medgar Evers Biography, Biography, accessed March 22, 2015, [http://www.biography.com/people/ medgar-evers-9542324.] 8 Evers and Peters, 14. 9
Fuerstenau 3 provide the best he could for his wife and children. 10 Medgar s mother Jessie was a member of the Church of God in Christ and was a mulatto. 11 Jessie s heritage included being Indian, White, and Negro; she was most proud of the Negro heritage and put up with a lot of insults because of it. 12 Medgar had one older brother named Charles and together the two of them were close to each other and to their father. 13 Medgar also had an older sister named Elizabeth and a younger sister named Mary Ruth. 14 The time Medgar and Charles spent with their father during childhood would play a significant role in Medgar s later life as a Civil Rights leader. Local whites in Decatur called Medgar s father Crazy Jim because he adamantly refused to step off the sidewalk in deference to whites as they passed. 15 Even with his father s influence dealing with race and segregation, Medgar believed that receiving an education was extremely important. He and his siblings attended a one room school house for elementary school before moving on to high school. 16 Medgar and his father both agreed that although Medgar had no special interest, it was imperative for him to get an education so he would get a better job than his father had at the sawmill. 17 By the time Medgar turned fourteen years old he had a fairly normal childhood for African American children. But when his fathers friend was lynched for supposedly sassing a 10 11, 15. A mulatto is a child who has a white parent and a black parent. 12 13 14 19. 15 Medgar Evers, The Autobiography of Medgar Evers: A Hero s Life and Legacy Revealed Through His Writings, Letters and Speeches, ed. Myrlie Evers-Williams & Manning Marable (New York: Basic Civets Books, 2005), 4. 16 17 Evers and Peters, 21.
Fuerstenau 4 white woman, Medgar was determined to escape the omnipresent pain and fear that Jim Crow segregation imposed on every black person. 18 Although he was determined at fourteen, he would continue in the path where segregation was at the forefront for years to come. Medgar dropped out of high school in 1943 and joined the military, following in his brothers footsteps. 19 Medgar served during World War II in a racially segregated unit where he experienced for the first time in his life, what equality was. 20 Medgar became close with a French family who treated him as an equal and not somebody of color who was less of a person then they were. 21 Medgar s experience within the army led him to meet people who recognized his natural ability and presence. Being so young, only 16 at the time, Medgar took after those around him in his unit. His lieutenant was a significant influence, telling him, You re too intelligent you have a good vocabulary you can go a long way if you use the intelligence you ve got. 22 While in and of itself the lieutenants words influenced Medgar, they were most impactful at the time and for his future for one main reason. All of the commanders in Medgar s segregated unit were white offices. 23 For a white office to recognize and see potential in Medgar not only gave him a push forward going back to school but also gave him another reason to work towards his goals of equality with the white man. Medgar recognized that there really was not a difference between African Americans and White, that they were both people who had thoughts and feelings, and that pushed him to his achievements later in life. 18 19 20 21 22 23 Evers, 5., 7., 7. Evers and Peters, 24. Evers, 7.
Fuerstenau 5 Recognizing the Future Medgar s first attempt for equality back in the states was on his twenty-first birthday. African Americans were given the right to vote with the fifteenth amendment, which prohibited a state from keeping anybody to vote based on race, color, or conditions of servitude. 24 However, in 1946 when Medgar and his brother Charles went to vote there were approximately twenty well armed, angry white men outside the courthouse. 25 Charles and Medgar ended up in somewhat of a stand-off with the armed men staring each other down. However, in the end Medgar backed down and told Charles let s go we ll get them next time and as they walked away one of the armed men yelled at them you damn Evers niggers going to get all the niggers in Decatur killed. 26 At twenty-one years old, instances like this could have set Medgar back and he could have given up on what was becoming his dream of creating equality between African Americans and Whites, however, they did not. The dream that would eventually become the reality for Medgar did not happen over night. In 1947, Medgar enrolled in school at Alcorn College, a black institution, in Mississippi. 27 Throughout his college career, Medgar was extremely active. Medgar was a business major and participated on the track team, football team, served as an editor on the school s newspaper, the debate team and sang in the choir. 28 Medgar s extra-curricular activities in college would help prepare him for his future as a Civil Rights leader. 24 U.S. Constitution, amend. XV 25 Evers, 7. 26 27 28 and Evers and Peters, 33.
Fuerstenau 6 During his time in college Medgar also met that special someone. That special somebody was seventeen year old Myrlie Beasley. Medgar was a ladies man in college and even though Myrlie was warned about getting involved with him, the two began to see each other socially. 29 Medgar had a very bold personality and had a plan for his life going forward. Shortly after Medgar and Myrlie started seeing each other, Medgar proclaimed, I m going to make you [Myrlie] into the woman I want you to be [You re] [sic] going to be the mother of [my] children. 30 Being young Myrlie snapped, You don t know me You haven t even kissed me, you haven t even held my hand! 31 It would seem that Medgar had gotten off on the wrong foot with Myrlie and his straight forward attitude was not his best approach. Medgar would work to gain Myrlie s affection and worked to show her that he was a very educated and intelligent young man. Myrlie remembered one thing specifically that Medgar taught her thought their relationship in college. He taught her to be herself and never accept white racism and discrimination. 32 Four years later, in 1951, Medgar and Myrlie were married, despite their families reservations. 33 Even within the black community there was a divide between where people were from and the relationships that they formed with other outside their community. Both Medgar and Myrlie returned to school where Medgar would graduate in 1952. 34 During his relationship with Myrlie and building his new family, his parents and siblings were still very important to him. As was obvious to many who knew Medgar, he did not let a lot of things get to 29 30 31 32 33 34 Evers, 8., 9. Evers, 11.
Fuerstenau 7 him emotionally. However, Myrlie mentions that one of the only time she ever saw Medgar cry was during finals week when he received a call that his younger sister had a brain tumor and would have surgery the following day. 35 Medgar had two sides to him. Medgar was stubborn and very straight forward but also had a soft sensitive and emotional side to him. This later would be very influential in his work and 1952 would be Medgar s start to a new life and a new path towards becoming a Civil Rights leader, especially within Mississippi. Medgar Becomes a Professional After graduation Medgar and Myrlie moved to Mound Bayou, an all Negro community, where Medgar became an insurance salesman with Magnolia Mutual Insurance Company. 36 Medgar truly enjoyed his job because he was allowed to help people. Myrlie remembered that this job allowed Medgar to see what true poverty was compared to what he had grown up in. 37 Compared to Whites, Medgar grew up in poverty, however, compared to those he was now helping, Medgar did not grow up in much poverty, if at all. For Medgar, being able to see the poverty changed something in him and it became one of the strongest pushes for Medgar to become a Civil Rights activist. After two months living in Mound Bayou, Myrlie and Medgar found out they were expecting a child together. Unfortunately, Myrlie had a miscarriage. 38 It was shortly after starting his job with Magnolia Mutual that Medgar had his first taste of the ensuing Civil Rights Movement and becoming a Civil Rights leader. Medgar s boss Dr. T. R. M. Howard wanted to find a way to express their protest to segregation codes and came up with a bumper 35 36 37 38 Evers and Peters, 51. Evers, 10. and Evers and Peters, 75. Evers, 10. Evers and Peters, 77.
Fuerstenau 8 sticker that read, Don t buy gas where you can t use the restroom. 39 Shortly after Medgar, Dr. Howard and other founded the Regional Council of Negro Leadership (RCNL). 40 During the summer of 1952 Medgar began to work more and more he was like a student driven to learn more, the more he learned the more he had to know. 41 Throughout 1952 Medgar spent a significant amount of time and effort talking with Delta Negroes and trying to convince them into joining the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Early in his political career Medgar was influenced by Jomo Kenyatt, the reputed leader of the Mau Mau uprising in faraway Kenya. 42 1953 turned out to be a big year for Medgar. In June Medgar s first child, Darrell Kenyatta was born. 43 Later in 1953 Medgar s work started to make a difference. In Shelby, Mississippi a charter for a new branch of the NAACP was formed as a result of Medgar s work. 44 Medgar s efforts recruiting members to the NAACP was just the beginning of his work. At a local conference for the NAACP a young dentist, Dr. Stringer, who was also the President of the Columbus, Mississippi branch of the NAACP spoke and suggested the time had come to start [to desegregate] had come. 45 This became a defining moment for Medgar in his life as an African American and as a political figure. Medgar had graduated from college and wanted to pursue a career in law in order to become a Negro lawyer and be able to break down 39 40 41 Evers, 10. Evers and Peters, 85. 42, 90. Jomo Kenyatta is considered the founding father of Kenya and was the leader of the independence movement until is death in 1978. 43 44 45, 95., 98., 98, 99-100.
Fuerstenau 9 legal barriers that confronted his people. 46 So Medgar stood up during the meeting and proclaimed his decision to apply to the University of Mississippi. 47 This proclamation was a big decision that impacted not only Medgar, but his family, and other African Americans as well. Myrlie was worried that if Medgar were to go to school, how it would effect their family. Medgar stated, What he was doing was specifically for his family and the barriers he was trying to break down were barriers his children would never have to face if he succeeded. If there were sacrifices to be made along the way, they were necessary sacrifices. Nothing worth-while was ever accomplished without sacrifices. This was something that had to be done. 48 Not only was it for his family, but for all of the poverty stricken African Americans and their children whom Medgar had and was selling insurance to. Early in 1954 things heightened more. The Jackson Daily News broke the story on January 22, 1954 with the headline NEGRO APPLIES TO ENGER OLE MISS. 49 Shortly after the news broke, Myrlie announced to Medgar that she was pregnant again. 50 So many positive things were going on in Medgar and Myrlie s life that it seemed like nothing could stop them. However, Medgar found out that his father, somebody who had influenced him significantly, was in the hospital. When Medgar went to visit him, it became one more push for Medgar to want to make a change for himself and for the African American community. What Medgar saw when he went to visit his father made him angry. His father was in the basement with other Negro patients. 51 What infuriated him more 46 47 48 49 50 51, 100., 101., 102., 104., 105.
Fuerstenau 10 was the mob that began to congregate outside of the hospital chanting threats and his father passed which he [Medgar] cited as proof that a Negro could neither live nor die in peace in Mississippi as long as things remained the way they were. hard, but it pushed him to do more for the African American community. 52 The death of his father hit Medgar May 17, 1954 is a day that will live in infamy in American history, especially for the African American community. On this day the Supreme Court of the United States released the decision to over turn the earlier case of Plessy v. Ferguson. The Brown v. Board of Education decision outlawed segregation in schools and said that separate but equal was no longer okay. 53 For Medgar this was a step he believed would help move him forward with his application to the University of Mississippi. In August Medgar went with A.P. Tureaund, a Negro lawyer from New Orleans and his NAACP representative to Jackson, Mississippi to Dr. Jobe, the executive secretary of the State Board of Trustees of Institutions of Higher Learning, for an interview about his application to the University; from their they all went to visit with the Attorney General. 54 Racial issues were at the forefront of the interview. The attorney general asked, If you were admitted to the University of Mississippi, would you want housing accommodations and means on the campus? 55 Medgar, with a tone of irritation, responded, Yes, I plan to live on campus in a dormitory, and to do all the things any other student of law school might do: use the library, eat in the dining hall, attend classes, he continued with the humorous statement, but I can assure you that I bathe regularly, that I wear clean clothes, and that none of the brown of my 52 53, 105-106. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Opinion: May 17, 1954. Records of the Supreme Court of the United States. Record Group 287, National Archives. 54 55 Evers and Peters, 114-115., 115.
Fuerstenau 11 skin will rub off. I won t contaminate the dormitory or the food. 56 Medgar s last statement was a way for him to show how ridiculous racial issues were that the white community thought that African Americans could contaminate everything in their surroundings. In the height of all of this Medgar s second child was born on September 13, Rena Denise. Three days later Medgar received the announcement that his application to the University was rejected. disappointed Medgar in the wake of the Brown v. Board decisions, he believed things were going to be different and that things were going to change. Unfortunately for Medgar, it was not going to be that easy and it would be a long road forward. After all the work that Medgar had done for the NAACP voluntarily, it would all change in 1954. The organization thought a field secretary was necessary in order to capitalize on its [NAACP] earlier successes in organizing the Negros of Mississippi. previous work, Medgar, it appeared, was the leading candidate. officially became the field secretary in Mississippi for the NAACP. 59 58 57 This Because of all his In December Medgar 60 This change and becoming an official for the NAACP changed Medgar from a volunteer to a political figure. Medgar s first piece of business as the field secretary was a record of all the recent changes by the legislature that made life more difficult for African Americans in the community. It listed issues like voting and keeping African Americans dependent so they could not and did not want to venture out on their own. 56 57 58 59 60 61, 118. 119.,133. 61 Evers, 18-20. From their Medgar s main work as the field secretary was working directly with the
Fuerstenau 12 people of the community and securing affidavits from victims of racial incidents in Mississippi and to continue a county-by-county investigation into the activities of the White Citizens Councils. 62 In a letter to the Director of Public Relations for the NAACP, Henry Moon, Medgar writes: Dear Mr. Moon: Thank you for the New York Daily News clippings you sent. I find them most interesting. Do not ever think I am too busy to give information to those persons who are going to, some way or the other, help our cause down here. I refer to the number of newspaper men you have sent. Continue to send them on. Yours truly, Medgar W. Evers Field Secretary 63 Medgar wanted everybody to know that he was willing to do whatever he needed to in order to move forward in the fight for equality. The NAACP worked tirelessly in early 1955 getting petitions signed to help push the cause for the Brown v. Board decision and allowing schools to be desegregated. August of 1955 brought about a tragic and infamous event for the African American community. On August 28, 1955 a fourteen year old African American male was murdered, his name was Emmett Till. 64 Emmett was accused of flirting with a white cashier, then taken beaten and shot. 65 After this event, Medgar became more and more afraid for his own life. As for his family, Myrlie remembered that from that moment on she never lost the fear that 62 63 Evers and Peters, 133. Evers, 35. 64 Emmett Till Biography, biography.com, accessed April 22, 2015, http://www.biography.com/people/emmetttill-507515. 65
Fuerstenau 13 Medgar himself would be killed. 66 Emmett s murder was not the only murder that had taken place within the African American community, but it did touch many African Americans, especially the Evers family, different from any other murder. Knowing that the white community was willing to go to such extremes for such a small accusation made Medgar realize that the fight he was fighting was not going to be an easy one and that his life was truly at risk. All of the violence towards African Americans caused deep heartache throughout the community. It also caused the NAACP to lose 246 branches throughout the South between 1955 and 1958. 67 Instead of being the hero in Mississippi for blacks, Medgar Evers began to receive hatred from his own people. People would turn their backs when they could see Medgar walking down the streets, at gatherings when Medgar would encourage people to register to vote he would be boooed off the stage. 68 Medgar never cared, he never gave up, he continued to fight, If I can get one person to go register and have a chance to vote, it doesn t matter. I don t care what they say to me. 69 Although Medgar faced resistance from some, he still received plenty of support from others. People still needed help and Medgar knew that, Please help me, [this] was a cry that Medgar heard in his sleep, a cry that haunted him, that drove him to frenzies of activity, that took him into danger and brought him back weak with rage at his powerlessness. 70 Medgar was feeling helpless. No matter what he was doing, it never seemed like it was enough. Still he never gave up. 66 67 68 69 70 Evers and Peters, 172. Evers, 50. Evers and Peters, 210.
Fuerstenau 14 Although Medgar was a local political figure, on a national level he was not as well known. Thus he turned to more well known figures in order to continue achieving his goals. Martin Luther King Jr. had become a national political figure for the African Americans and the Civil Rights Movement. Although Medgar did not see eye-to-eye with MLK he did respect him and on July 31, 1956 Medgar wrote to MLK: Dear Rev. King: I am quite sure you do not remember me, but I managed to shake your hand and introduce myself at the National Convention, as being the field secretary for the NAACP in the State of Mississippi, and, at which time, I asked if it were possible to have you come to Jackson to speak to our branch here. You said that you would consider it. I am therefore, at this time, inviting you to speak to us on the first or second Sunday in October, or on any other date that will be convenient for you. We, the NAACP here, feel that your presence would do more to bring together our ministers and the people of Jackson than any other person or incident conceivable. In a recent conversation with Dr. Allan Knight Chalmers, who visited Jacks, he mentioned your having been a ministerial student in his class at Boston University. Please let me hear from you immediately, may God bless you. Respectfully yours, Medgar W. Evers Field Secretary 71 It took months for Medgar to hear back. Medgar received a letter back dated December 11, 1956. It read: Dear Mr. Evers: This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter of November 13, inviting me to address the Jackson, Mississippi Branch of the NAACP. First, I must apologize for being so tardy in my reply. Absence from the city and the accumulation of a flood of mail account for the delay. 71 Evers, 54.
Fuerstenau 15 I have considered your request very seriously. It seems, however, that my schedule is too uncertain at this point to make any definite commitment. I am negotiating at this time on the possibility of being out of the country for about two months in the late spring and early summer. I cannot accept any further engagements until this matter has been finally cleared up. I would suggest that you write me again around the first of February, and I can let you know then exactly whether or not I can come to Jackson. I wish it were possible to give you a definite answer at this time, but present conditions make it impossible. It was a real pleasure having you in Montgomery yesterday. Your presence added much to the success of our meeting. You have my parries and best wishes for continued success as you continue your struggle against the forces of evil and injustice in the state of Mississippi. Yours very truly, M.L. King, Jr. Minister 72 Martin Luther King Jr. was not the only national figure that Medgar reached out to. He also reached out to the President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower. In a telegram Medgar wrote: Mr. President: You have expressed profound and very deep interest in free elections throughout the world, so much so you have invited Russians to come to this country to observe our system of free elections. We call upon you, Mr. President, to send the Russian observers to Humphrey County, Mississippi, where the Revernd Mr. G.W. Lee was killed and Mr. Gus Courts was shot because they tried to vote as Americans. Send them to Jefferson-Davis County where more than one thousand persons, who have been qualified voters from three to ten years, were disfranchised because they were Negroes. Send them also to Hattiesburg, in Forrest County, where there are less than twenty-five Negroes registered when there are twelve thousand Negroes in the county. Mr. President, we feel that a more accurate and objective view will be derived from a visit in these counties, and the majority of Mississippi s counties where no Negroes are permitted to register and vote in the great democracy 73 Medgar s intentions seem pretty straight forward from the telegram. He wanted to inform the President of what was going and while he realized that the Russians were highly unlikely to 72 73, 55-56., 57-58.
Fuerstenau 16 actually go to any of the counties in Mississippi, informing the President that something needed to change was the ultimate end all goal. Even though Medgar appealed to higher political leaders, he never forgot about the little people back home in Mississippi. In August of 1957 Medgar was at a speaking engagement at the Mt. Heron Baptist Church in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Throughout his speech he references the Lord and how men are supposed to live up to the Lords expectations. Later he discusses the relationship between all of God s people, While we must not hate our fellow man, black, white, yellow, what have you, we must nevertheless, stand firmly on those principles we know are right which brings us to the point of being reminded of the courage of Joshua and Caleb when after 400 years of bondage under the Egyptians and 40 years of freedom 74 Medgar continues to reference the Lord as a reason for his strength through the movement and a reason for him to keep going. Throughout the rest of the 1950s Medgar continued his work as field secretary. It was during the 1960s that things started picking up and Medgar really made his impact on the Civil Rights Movement. Medgar s wife, Myrlie remembered, The change of tide in Mississippi did not begin until 1961. Then, almost imperceptibly, Negroes took the offensive in the struggle for full citizenship. 75 Mississippi was a hot bed during the Civil Rights Movement. 76 By the 1960s many thought that Medgar should leave Mississippi and move somewhere else to continue his NAACP work. 77 However, Medgar refused. He knew that Mississippi was his home and that he could continue the work he was doing and it would eventually make a difference. Medgar spoke 74 75, 75. Evers and Peters, 235. 76 Mary King, Freedom Song: A Personal Story of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement (New York: William Marrow and Company Inc., 1987), Chapter 10. 77 Evers and Peters, 215
Fuerstenau 17 to a mass protest group in April of 1961. During his speech he references specifically how Mississippi is ready and it is their time for change, Let it be known to those who say that Negroes in Mississippi are satisfied, that tonight we are here to indicate to the world that so long as there is segregation and discrimination anywhere in the states of Mississippi or the United States of America, for that matter, we are not and shall not be satisfied. 78 Medgar continued to discuss at the protest about the changes that could come to Mississippi with the help of the Mississippi citizens. That summer while working in his office Medgar received a phone call from a white woman: Medgar: Hello, this is Medgar Evers. May I help you? Woman: Are you the head nigger of that NAACP or whatever you call it? Medgar: The head what? Woman: The head nigger! Medgar: Well, if you want to call me that, yes. During this conversation the woman Medgar was talking with was extremely drunk and irate with him. However, Medgar continued to remain calm with her. Medgar s wife Myrlie was his secretary at the office and she was listening in on the phone. Myrlie heard the woman cursing at Medgar. When he could tell he told Myrlie, Get off the phone, and don t ever do that again. Then the women went on, I bet that nigger woman of yours is sitting up there right now with a baby inside her! That s all you niggers do is get babies! Medgar then interrupted, Do you have a Negro woman working for you? The conversation went on. Medgar accused the woman s husband of having an affair with the Negro housekeeper. Then Medgar began talking with the 78, 225.
Fuerstenau 18 woman s husband. Myrlie began listening again and by the end of the conversation she believed the two of them were almost cordial with each other. 79 The entire phone call was proof for Medgar that he was capable of making a change that after everything the phone call had entailed, he was still able to be cordial and calm down the white s to a point where they could talk on an even level. Medgar took a variety of steps in 1962 in order to help create equality for African Americans. During 1962 a boycott of the Mississippi State Fair was successful. Medgar recounted it in his Monthly NAACP Report, For the second year straight Negro Citizens have responded favorably to the NAACP s request to boycott the Mississippi State fair for Negros. 80 Throughout 1962 Medgar continued his work with the NAACP as the field secretary helping people on an everyday basis. In 1963 Medgar planned boycotts on three businesses in Jackson, Barq s, Hart s, and McRae s. 81 All three of the stores served a primarily black population who made large contributions to the White Citizens Councils. 82 This was one of Medgar s biggest steps. Shortly after the boycott began it became an instant success. Medgar and others were inspired by sit-ins that had occurred around the United States and that caused them to widen the boycott to include almost all of the stores of Capitol Street. 83 This was a big step for Medgar to create something like the boycott and for it to be successful. He d moved from helping individuals to be able to affect large masses of the African American community. 79, 247-248. The entire conversation is included on these two pages referenced on this page and the previous page. 80 Evers, 263. 81 Evers and Peters, 256. 82 83, 257.
Fuerstenau 19 The End Comes all Too Soon 1963 was also a year where violence was increasing and the number of murders was on the rise. Myrlie had been worried about Medgar s death. But at this point in his life, Medgar had come to terms with the fact that he was going to die, If I go tonight, if I go next week, if I go next year, I feel I m ready to go You shouldn t be afraid of death, honey [speaking to Myrlie]. I know it s hard not to be, but it s something that comes to everyone someday. 84 June 1, 1963 Medgar sent a telegram to the President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. He wrote: The President Please, mistreatment of Negro children and their parents reported behind hob wire confines of Jackson Concentration Camp. City, county, and State Law officer involved. Medical attention being denied. Injured in some cases. Urge immediate investigation by Department of Justice agents of these denials of constitutional rights to peaceful demonstrations and protests. NAACP, Medgar Evers, Mississippi Field Secretary Ten days later on June 11, 1963 President Kennedy gave an address to the nation on the Civil Rights Movement. Medgar was working late that night so the rest of the Evers family watched the presidential address on television. The President stated: Today we are committed to a world-wide struggle to promote and protect the rights of all who wish to be free. And when Americans are sent to Vietnam or West Berlin, we do not ask for whites only. It ought to be possible, therefore, for American students of any color to attend any public institution they select without having to be back up by troops.it ought to be possible for American consumers of any color to receive equal service in places of public accommodation, such as hotels and restaurants and theaters and retail stores, without being forced to resort to demonstrations in the street, and it out to be possible for American citizens of 84, 296-297.
Fuerstenau 20 any color to register and to vote in a free election without interference or fear of reprisal. The heart of the question is whether all Americans are to be afforded equal rights and equal opportunities, whether we are going to treat our fellow Americans as we want to be treated. If an American, because his skin is dark, cannot eat lunch in a restaurant open to the public, if he cannot send his children to the best public school available, if he cannot vote for the public officials who represent him, if, in short, he cannot enjoy the full and free life which all of us want, then who among us would be content to have the color of his skin changed and stand in his place? Who among us would then be content with the counsels of patience and delay? We face, then, a moral crisis as a country and as a people, It cannot be met by repressive police action. It cannot be left to increased demonstrations in the streets. It cannot be quieted by token moves or talk. It is a time to act in Congress, in your state and local legislative body, and, above all, in all of our daily lives. 85 It finally seemed like Presidential action was starting to take place and that all of the hard work by not only Medgar, but other African American Civil Rights Leaders. Unfortunately for Medgar, he would never live to see the results of the Civil Rights Movement. In the wee hours of June 12, Medgar s son Darrell heard the car door shut in the carport of the Evers house. As Myrlie made her way to the door she heard the unthinkable, a shot rang out. 86 Myrlie ran to the door and saw Medgar lying facedown drenched with blood. 87 Just as the fate of infamous Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr, Medgar Evers had been assassinated at his home in Jackson, Mississippi. Medgar was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead at 1:14 a.m. on June 12. 88 85 86 87 88, 300-301., 302., 304. Evers, 293.
Fuerstenau 21 Conclusion Most of Medgar Evers life was spent working in Mississippi for the NAACP. During this time Medgar significantly influenced individuals whom he met working on a daily basis who needed his help. Ultimately, although Medgar was never a national figure. The work he did in Mississippi was essential in the overall fight for Equality for African Americans during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Mississippi was an essential state within the South for African Americans and their fight for equality. Thus in the end Medgar Evers was an unsung hero of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement.
Fuerstenau 22 Appendix A This appendix is meant to bring about emotion and a human aspect to the Civil Rights Movement. What one man did to affect thousands of others and literally dedicated and gave his life for this fight towards equality. Figure 1: Medgar during his high school years. Although young, Medgar looks like a poised young man ready to take on the world. Source: Medgar Evers, The Autobiography of Medgar Evers: A Hero s Life and Legacy Revealed Through His Writings, Letters and Speeches, ed. Myrlie Evers-Williams & Manning Marable (New York: Basic Civets Books, 2005)
Fuerstenau 23 Figure 2: Medgar and his family. Source: Medgar Evers, The Autobiography of Medgar Evers: A Hero s Life and Legacy Revealed Through His Writings, Letters and Speeches, ed. Myrlie Evers-Williams & Manning Marable (New York: Basic Civets Books, 2005)
Fuerstenau 24 Figure 3: Medgar s Poll Tax Receipt from his application to vote after he moved his family from Mound Bayou to Jackson, Mississippi. One of Medgar s biggest goals during his life was to be able to vote. This started at a young age for him as referenced in the paper. Source: Medgar Evers, The Autobiography of Medgar Evers: A Hero s Life and Legacy Revealed Through His Writings, Letters and Speeches, ed. Myrlie Evers-Williams & Manning Marable (New York: Basic Civets Books, 2005)
Fuerstenau 25 Figure 4: Medgar s membership card to the NAACP. From the time he was a young adult through his death, the NAACP was like a second home for Medgar. It was also the place where Medgar was able to make the biggest difference for others during the Civil Rights Movement. Source: Medgar Evers, The Autobiography of Medgar Evers: A Hero s Life and Legacy Revealed Through His Writings, Letters and Speeches, ed. Myrlie Evers-Williams & Manning Marable (New York: Basic Civets Books, 2005)
Fuerstenau 26 Figure 5:This picture shows the carport at the Evers home where Medgar was assassinated on June 12. Source: Medgar Evers, The Autobiography of Medgar Evers: A Hero s Life and Legacy Revealed Through His Writings, Letters and Speeches, ed. Myrlie Evers-Williams & Manning Marable (New York: Basic Civets Books, 2005)
Fuerstenau 27 Figure 6: The final portrait of Medgar before his assassination. Years after his high school portrait, Medgar is still looking poised and like a distinguished politician. Source: Medgar Evers, The Autobiography of Medgar Evers: A Hero s Life and Legacy Revealed Through His Writings, Letters and Speeches, ed. Myrlie Evers-Williams & Manning Marable (New York: Basic Civets Books, 2005)
Fuerstenau 28 Figure 7: Medgar s driver s license after his assassination. The top portion is stained with his blood. Source: Medgar Evers, The Autobiography of Medgar Evers: A Hero s Life and Legacy Revealed Through His Writings, Letters and Speeches, ed. Myrlie Evers-Williams & Manning Marable (New York: Basic Civets Books, 2005)
Fuerstenau 29 Figure 8: The line of people and distinguished guests that attended Medgar s funeral. It goes to show how many people and lives Medgar touched during his time as an insurance salesman and as the field secretary of the NAACP. Source: Medgar Evers, The Autobiography of Medgar Evers: A Hero s Life and Legacy Revealed Through His Writings, Letters and Speeches, ed. Myrlie Evers-Williams & Manning Marable (New York: Basic Civets Books, 2005)
Fuerstenau 30 Figure 9: Members of the Evers family met with President John F. Kennedy after his assassination. The Evers family hoped JFK was the answer to the Civil Rights Movement. Unfortunately just a few short months later. JFK met the same fate as Medgar and was never able to fulfill any of his promises to end oppression and bring equality to African Americans. Source: Medgar Evers, The Autobiography of Medgar Evers: A Hero s Life and Legacy Revealed Through His Writings, Letters and Speeches, ed. Myrlie Evers-Williams & Manning Marable (New York: Basic Civets Books, 2005)
Fuerstenau 31
Fuerstenau 32