The black civil right's movement in the 50's and 60's was a time when "separate but equal" was the reality. It was a time filled with warriors, men and women who fought for their rights and would do anything to gain the equality they deserved. It was a time for heroes, but also for martyrs. The best known of these people who gave their lives to the cause was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But Medgar Evers, known for his endless contributions to the civil rights movement, was one of the firsts.
Medgar Evers was born in 1925. He grew up in Decatur, Mississippi with his parents, James and Jessie Evers, and his brother, Charles Evers. Medgar and Charles had a very close relationship. They both served in the United States Army during World War II. After returning home Evers enrolled in Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College. He graduated in 1950. This led to the beginning of his involvement in the civil rights movement.
Evers despised the horrible conditions of poor black families in Mississippi. He became a recruiter for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People(NAACP). Then, in1954 he was appointed Mississippi's first field secretary. Evers" demands for the segregated state were often considered radical. However, he was outspoken and determined to have his ideas heard. In 1954 he fought to enforce the court decision of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka which outlawed school segregation. Medgar Evers also fought for the right for black people to vote and staged boycotts against businesses that discriminated.
Medgar Evers contributed greatly to the civil rights movement, and on June 12, 1963 he gave his life. After driving home from a meeting, Evers was killed by a gunman in front of his house in Jackson, Mississippi. The shotgun used to kill Evers was found nearby in some bushes with fingerprints still on it. Byron De La Beckwith, who was a vocal member of the Ku Klux Klan, was tried twice with all white juries and, despite the evidence against him, Beckwith was not convicted.
