Evers nominated for Presidential Medal of Freedom
The entire Mississippi congressional delegation has nominated slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers for the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Evers was assassinated outside his Jackson home on June 12, 1963, just hours after President John F. Kennedy delivered his first civil rights address to the nation.
U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker and Reps. Bennie G. Thompson, Gregg Harper, Steven Palazzo and Trent Kelly wrote President Obama, saying: “Mr. Evers dedicated his life to the defense of civil rights in Mississippi and the United States … His leadership, dedication and sacrifice continue to inspire many Americans and have enhanced freedom for all of humankind.”
Upon hearing the news, Evers’ widow, Myrlie, became emotional. “My heart is racing,” she said.
She described the news as overwhelming: “I’m so thankful the Mississippi delegation has acted on this, and it is my hope the president will approve and that Medgar will be honored in this way. He truly deserves it.”
Evers’ daughter, Reena Evers-Everette, executive director for the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute, said, “My heart is overflowing with love and gratefulness to those wishing to honor my father. He believed in and fought for his country, first on the beaches of Normandy and then when he returned home and fought racism and prejudice in the land he loved, Mississippi. He was a man who wanted greatness for all of humanity.”
When he heard the news, Evers’ brother, Charles, who took over as field secretary for the Mississippi NAACP after the assassination, said, “You’re kidding!”
He was moved by the act, he said. “Even to be nominated is an honor.”
Mississippi, he said, has “come a long ways. We’ve got the most black elected officials of anywhere.”
In 1954, Evers tried to enroll at the University of Mississippi School of Law, only to be rejected because of the color of his skin.
Shortly after that, he became the first field secretary for the state NAACP. “Mr. Evers recruited volunteers, led demonstrations and organized voter-registration efforts in an effort to end racial discrimination in our society,” the letter from the Mississippi delegation reads. “Mr. Evers was tragically assassinated in front of his home in Jackson, Mississippi, on June 12, 1963, as a result of his work to promote social justice, racial equality, and voting rights.
“Mr. Evers dedicated his life to the defense of civil rights in Mississippi and the United States. In recognition of his role in the Civil Rights Movement, he was posthumously awarded the NAACP Spingarn Medal for outstanding achievement in 1963 and is featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. His leadership, dedication and sacrifice continue to inspire many Americans and have enhanced freedom for all of humankind.”
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest U.S. civilian honor awarded to individuals who have made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”
The president makes the selections. President Harry S. Truman awarded the first Medal of Freedom in 1946.
Mississippi natives who have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom include civil rights activist James Earl Chaney (2014), Rep. G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery (2005), Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise (1970), historian Dumas Malone (1983), opera singer Leontyne Price (1964), blues musician B.B. King (2006), author Eudora Welty (1980), playwright Tennessee Williams (1980) and media proprietor and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey (2013).
Contact Jerry Mitchell at jmitchell@gannett.com or (601) 961-7064. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.