Medgar Evers
Medgar Evers was a great leader of the civil rights movement in the 50's and 60's. From his humble beginnings in a small Mississippi town he grew to become one of the greatest leaders of the movement.
As a boy Evers was a serious and mature and he remained that way throughout his life. He was raised in a small town in Mississippi. He had strong religious values and a terrific work ethic as a child. While he was still in high school Evers left school to serve in the army. While fighting in the army the racist Nazis made a lasting impression on him. After he got out of the army he received his high school diploma and immediately enrolled in Alcorn A&M College. When in college Evers played football, ran track, edited the school paper and also sang in the choir. (Tuttle, pg.1) Evers's first job out of college was selling insurance for Magnolia Insurance which was one of the few black owned businesses. His boss was a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and got Evers involved. In 1959 Evers moved to Jackson, Mississippi so that he could work full time for the NAACP. While in Jackson he was appointed Field Secretary for the Mississippi branch of the NAACP. He fought for fair employment and integration by organizing boycotts and other protests. He also tried to uphold the 1954 court decision of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka which outlawed segregation. While he held this position he continued to be a hardworking, thoughtful and quiet man. He worked unceasingly despite threats of violence. He was outspoken on the issue of civil rights and his demands for the rights of all races were radical. Sadly on June sixth 1963 Evers was shot in the back as he exited his Oldsmobile with an armful of Jim Crowe Must Go t-shirts. The .30-06 deer rifle with which he was shot was found in the bushes nearby with the owners fingerprints still fresh. On June 16, 1963 Evers's was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
As a boy Evers was a serious and mature and he remained that way throughout his life. He was raised in a small town in Mississippi. He had strong religious values and a terrific work ethic as a child. While he was still in high school Evers left school to serve in the army. While fighting in the army the racist Nazis made a lasting impression on him. After he got out of the army he received his high school diploma and immediately enrolled in Alcorn A&M College. When in college Evers played football, ran track, edited the school paper and also sang in the choir. (Tuttle, pg.1) Evers's first job out of college was selling insurance for Magnolia Insurance which was one of the few black owned businesses. His boss was a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and got Evers involved. In 1959 Evers moved to Jackson, Mississippi so that he could work full time for the NAACP. While in Jackson he was appointed Field Secretary for the Mississippi branch of the NAACP. He fought for fair employment and integration by organizing boycotts and other protests. He also tried to uphold the 1954 court decision of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka which outlawed segregation. While he held this position he continued to be a hardworking, thoughtful and quiet man. He worked unceasingly despite threats of violence. He was outspoken on the issue of civil rights and his demands for the rights of all races were radical. Sadly on June sixth 1963 Evers was shot in the back as he exited his Oldsmobile with an armful of Jim Crowe Must Go t-shirts. The .30-06 deer rifle with which he was shot was found in the bushes nearby with the owners fingerprints still fresh. On June 16, 1963 Evers's was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.