The+Life,+Assassination,+and+Legacy+of+Medgar+Evers,+1963

Medgar Evers was born July 2nd, 1925, in Decatur, Mississippi, to a farmer and sawmill employee and a homemaker. Blatant Discrimination ran rampant through the Mississippi that Evers lived in, “ where blacks dared not even speak of civil rights, much less actively campaign for them.”

 As early as 1955, Evers was featured on a 9-man death list in the Deep South, along with many other key Civil Rights activists. Both Evers and his family weathered numerous threats to their safety, and were the targets of violent actions by Evers’ opponents.

 Evers’ efforts to integrate public facilities, schools, and restaurants were coupled with organized voter registration drives and demonstrations to advance the Civil Rights movement. Evers even went to the all-white government of Mississippi, trying to ensure that there would be some progress in racial equality. Opponents of Evers and Civil Rights recognized him as a dangerous man.

 His wife, Myrlie Evers, whom he married December 24th, 1951, recognized the dangers of his activism and devotion to his cause, and said that “We (Medgar and Myrlie both knew that he was going to die. Medgar didn’t want to be a martyr. But if he had to die to get us that far, he was willing to do it.”

 Evers and his family were the target of increasingly common violent attacks. Evers’ family residence was the target of a firebomb attack a few weeks before his death. Myrlie put the fire out with a garden hose from inside, fearing that snipers were waiting for her if she left the house. The increasingly violent actions toward the Evers family failed to deter Medgar in his devotion to fighting for racial equality. His days were filled with meetings, economic boycotts, prayer vigils, and other forms of peaceful protests.

 Medgar Evers’ seemingly unstoppable campaign for racial equality, along with his life, was brought to a grinding halt on the night of June 11th, 1963; the same night that John F. Kennedy threw his support behind Civil Rights organizations. Evers, returning home from a meeting, was shot in the back in front of his house, where he was found by his family. 50 minutes after being rushed to the hospital, Evers died due to internal injuries from the gunshot.

 Medgar Evers’ death is considered by many to be a significant milestone in the vicious war for integration. Evers’ assassination emboldened other key Civil Rights activist leaders, who then emboldened their own followers with their zeal. The apprehension and fear felt by Civil Rights activists was changed to anger and increased confidence and belief in their cause. ([|1])

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