The Autobiography of Medgar Evers

by Evers-Williams, Myrlie

• ISBN13: 9780465021789
• ISBN10: 0465021786
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-08-28
• Publisher: Basic Civitas Books

Summary

The Autobiography of Medgar Eversis the first and only comprehensive collection of the words of slain civil rights hero Medgar Evers. Evers became a leader of the civil rights movement during the late 1950s and early 1960s. He established NAACP chapters throughout the Mississippi delta region, and eventually became the NAACP's first field secretary in Mississippi. Myrlie Evers-Williams, Medgar's widow, partnered with Manning Marable, one of the country's leading black scholars, to develop this book based on the previously untouched cache of Medgar's personal documents and writings. These writings range from Medgar's monthly reports to the NAACP to his correspondence with luminaries of the time such as Robert Carter, General Counsel for the NAACP in the landmarkBrown v. Board of Educationcase. Still, most moving of all, is the preface written by Myrlie Evers.

Author Biography

Myrlie Evers-Williams is the widow of slain civil rights hero Medgar Evers and former chairwoman of the NAACP. She has continued the work of her late husband, and her tireless efforts to bring about social change have kept his memory alive. Myrlie Evers-Williams lives in Bend, Oregon. Manning Marable is Professor of History, Political Science, and Public Policy, at Columbia University. Marable lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Preface by Myrlie Evers-Williams	xiii
Introduction: A Servant-Leader of the People: Medgar Wiley Evers (1925-1963) by Manning Marable	xvii
CHAPTER I BRING JUSTICE SURE	1	(46)
Documents 1-11
December 1954–December 1955
1 Medgar Evers, Memorandum, "Report on Mississippi," December 1954	17	(4)
2 Memorandum to Mr. Wilkins from Mr. Current, December 13, 1954	21	(6)
3	27	(6)
(1) Amzie Moore to Roy Wilkins, January 17, 1955
(2) Medgar Evers to Amzie Moore, January 27, 1955
(3) Medgar Evers to J.E. Walker, Tri-State Bank, January 27, 1955
(4) Gloster Current to Medgar Evers, February 1, 1955
(5) Roy Wilkins to Amzie Moore, November 18, 1955
4 Medgar Evers to Lucille Black, July 20, 1955	33	(1)
5	34	(3)
(1) Henry Lee Moon to Medgar Evers, September 16, 1955
(2) Evers to Moon, December 5, 1955
6 Gloster B. Current to Medgar Evers, October 5, 1955	37	(1)
7 Telegram, Medgar Evers to Roy Wilkins, October 27, 1955	38	(1)
8 Medgar Evers, Memorandum, "Report on Death of Tim L. Hudson," November 3, 1955	39	(2)
9 Transcript of a telephone conversation, Medgar Evers and Gloster B. Current, December 8, 1955	41	(2)
10 Roy Wilkins to Medgar Evers, December 21, 1955	43	(2)
11 Transcript of a telephone conference call, Medgar Evers, Ruby Hurley, and Gloster B. Current, December 27, 1955	45	(2)
CHAPTER II TRIAL BY FIRE	47	(38)
Documents 12-23
June 21, 1956—November 14, 1957
12 Monthly Report: "June 3 Meeting," "Bundles for Freedom," "Membership Campaign," and "Branches Visited," June 21, 1956	53	(1)
13	54	(1902)
(1) Medgar Evers to Martin Luther King, Jr., July 31, 1956
(2) King to Evers, December 11, 1956
14 Telegram to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, October 25,	1956 57
15	59	(8)
(1) Roy Wilkins to Medgar Evers, December 18, 1956
(2) Evers to Wilkins, December 28, 1956
(3) Evers to Wilkins, February 1, 1957
(4) Wilkins to Evers, February 8, 1957
(5) Evers to Wilkins, March 11, 1957
16 Medgar Evers to William Stratton, Governor of Illinois, March 20, 1957	67	(2)
17 Monthly Report: "The Alcorn Situation," "Report on Branch Activities," and "Hinds County Grand Jury Hearing," March 25, 1957	69	(3)
18 Medgar W. Evers, Introduction of Congressman Charles C. Diggs, Jackson, Mississippi, May 19, 1957	72	(1)
19 Medgar W. Evers, Address, Mount Heron Baptist Church, Vicksburg, Mississippi, August 11, 1957	73	(5)
20 Medgar Evers to Robert Carter, General Counsel, NAACP, September 4, 1957	78	(1)
21 News Release, Mississippi State Conference of NAACP Branches, October 15, 1957	79	(1)
22 "Integration Seen by '63, Mississippi NAACP Aide Finds Progress in State," New York Times, November 10, 1957	80	(1)
23 Annual Report, 1957, November 14, 1957	80	(5)
CHAPTER III WHY I LIVE IN MISSISSIPPI	85	(46)
Documents 24-34
January 24, 1958–March 23, 1959
24 Medgar Evers to Ruby Hurley, NAACP Southeastern Regional Secretary, January 24, 1958	91	(1)
25 Medgar Evers to Roy Wilkins, April 1, 1958	92	(2)
26 Monthly Report: "Registration and Voting," "Fund-Raising," and "Memberships," April 11, 1958	94	(3)
27	97	(2)
(1) Medgar Evers to Johnnie M. Brooks, May 15, 1958
(2) Evers to Brooks, May 23, 1958
28 Medgar Evers, Address, Celebration of the Brown decision's fourth anniversary, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Branch of NAACP, Masonic Hall, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, May 18, 1958	99	(8)
29 Medgar Evers to Gloster B. Current, Director of Branches, NAACP, September 8, 1958	107	(3)
30 Monthly Report: "Intimidation," September 23, 1958	110	(1)
31 Medgar Evers, "Why I Live in Mississippi," originally published in Ebony, November 1958	111	(11)
32 Annual Report, 1958: "Registration and Voting" and "Desegregation," January 1959	122	(3)
33	125	(3)
(1) Medgar Evers to Gloster B. Current, February 24, 1959
(2) Current to Evers, March 24, 1959
34 Monthly Report: "Registration and Voting" and "Mississippi Teachers Association," March 23, 1959	128	(3)
CHAPTER IV OUR NEED FOR POLITICAL PARTICIPATION	131	(46)
Documents 35-44
May 21, 1959—March 22, 1960
35 Monthly Report: "Speaking Engagements," "The Poplarville Incident," and "May 17th Celebration," May 21, 1959	137	(3)
36 Medgar Evers, Address to the Los Angeles Branch of the NAACP, Los Angeles, California, May 31, 1959	140	(16)
37 Monthly Report: "Speaking Engagements," June 22, 1959	156	(2)
38 Medgar Evers, Address to the Area Conference of the Florida Branches of the NAACP, Panama City, Florida, September 6, 1959	158	(2)
39 Medgar Evers, Address at Vesper Services, J.P. Campbell College, Jackson, Mississippi, October 25, 1959	160	(3)
40 Medgar W. Evers, Field Secretary, "Comments on Mississippi NAACP Operations," January 1960	163	(3)
41 "Race Sentencing Hit, NAACP Compares Terms of Negroes and Whites," United Press International, New York Times, January 23, 1960	166	(1)
42 Medgar Evers, Address at the Men's Day Program of the Freemont African Methodist Episcopal Church, Miles, Mississippi, February 28, 1960	166	(4)
43	170	(4)
(1) Medgar Evers to Gloster B. Current, March 9, 1960
(2) C.R. Darden, President, Mississippi State Conference Branches, NAACP, to Medgar Evers, March 14, 1960
(3) C.R. Darden to Gloster B. Current, March 14, 1960
(4) Medgar Evers to Gloster B. Current, March 15, 1960
44 Monthly Report: "Branch Activity" and "Sit-Down Protests," March 22, 1960	174	(3)
CHAPTER V KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE	177	(36)
Documents 45-55
April 19, 1960—December 20, 1960
45 Report to Mrs. Ruby Hurley from Medgar W. Evers, Held Secretary, April 19, 1960	184	(1)
46 Monthly Report: "Branch Activity" and "Anti-Segregation Demonstrations," April 21, 1960	185	(3)
47 Monthly Report: "Biloxi Anti-Segregation Demonstration," May 23, 1960	188	(2)
48 Monthly Report: "Action," June 29, 1960	190	(1)
49 Monthly Report: "Branch Activities" and "Investigations," July 22, 1960	191	(2)
50 Memorandum, Gloster B. Current to Roy Wilkins, "Regarding the Beating of Johnny Frazier, State President, NAACP Mississippi Youth Council," August 29, 1960	193	(1)
51 Report of Medgar Evers (Press Release), August 30, 1960	194	(1)
52 Monthly Report: "Investigation," August 30, 1960	195	(3)
53 Monthly Report: "Civil Rights Commission," October 19, 1960	198	(1)
54 Monthly Report: "The Clyde Kennard and Medgar Evers Cases," December 20, 1960	199	(3)
55 "...with Liberty and Justice for All...," Mississippi NAACP Branch Newsletter, December 20, 1960	202	(11)
CHAPTER VI TAKING FREEDOM FOR OURSELVES	213	(42)
Documents 56-69
February 12, 1961–October 14, 1962
56 Medgar Evers, Address to the Jackson NAACP Branch, New Mount Zion Baptist Church, Jackson, Mississippi, February 12, 1961	220	(3)
57 Medgar Evers, "Yesterday—Today," Text Fragment, February 12, 1961	223	(1)
58 Medgar Evers to Roy Wilkins, March 29, 1961	223	(2)
59 Medgar W. Evers, Address to Mass Protest Meeting, Jackson, Mississippi, April 20, 1961	225	(3)
60 Monthly Report: "Desegregation Activities," April 21, 1961	228	(2)
61 Memorandum, "NAACP Plans Jackson, Mississippi, Voter Meeting," June 7, 1961	230	(1)
62 "NAACP Aide is Freed, Supreme Court of Mississippi Upsets Contempt Finding," United Press International, New York Times, June 13, 1961	231	(1)
63 Monthly Report: "Branch Activity," "Legal Action," "Zoo Sit-In," and "Freedom Riders," June 21, 1961	231	(3)
64 Monthly Report: "Direction Action," September 6, 1961	234	(1)
65 Medgar Evers to Roy Wilkins, Gloster B. Current, and Ruby Hurley, Memorandum, "Operation of Other Civil Rights Organizations in the State of Mississippi,' October 12, 1961	235	(8)
66 "Seven Negroes Arrested for Boycott Role," United Press International, December 8, 1961	243	(1)
67 Medgar Evers to Alfred Baker Lewis, February 1, 1962	243	(2)
68 Medgar Evers, Address for the Men's Day Program, New Jerusalem M.B. Church, Jackson, Mississippi, July 22, 1962	245	(4)
69 Dorothy Giliam, "Mississippi Mood: Hope and Fear," Washington Post, October 14, 1962	249	(6)
CHAPTER VII I SPEAK AS A NATIVE MISSISSIPPIAN	255	(36)
Documents 70-81
November 7, 1962—June 10, 1963
70 Monthly Report: "Boycott of Mississippi State Fair for Negroes" and "17th Annual State Conference, NAACP," November 7, 1962	263	(1)
71 "'Quarantine' on Segregated States Urged," Los Angeles Times, November 10, 1962	264	(1)
72 Transcriptions of two handwritten notes from Medgar to his family, November 27, 1962, and December 1, 1962	265	(1)
73 Monthly Report: "Speaking Engagements," "Selected Buying Campaign," and "Investigation," January 4, 1963	266	(3)
74 Monthly Report: "Poll Tax," "Meredith Returns," "Labor and Industry," "Clyde Kennard," and "Investigation," February 7, 1963	269	(5)
75 Monthly Report: "School Desegregation," "Investigation," "Registration and Voting," and "Labor," March 6, 1963	274	(4)
76 Medgar Evers, "Special Report," April 1, 1963	278	(2)
77 Medgar Evers, Televised Address, "I Speak as a Native Mississippian," May 20, 1963	280	(3)
78 Telegram to President John F. Kennedy, June 1, 1963	283	(1)
79 "Roy Wilkins Is Arrested at Jackson: NAACP Official Accused of Felony; D.C. Man Seized," Associated Press, Washington Post and Times Herald, June 2, 1963	284	(3)
80 Wallace Terry, "Negroes' 'Awakened Militancy' Now Centers on Mississippi," Washington Post, June 7, 1963	287	(3)
81 Medgar W. Evers, Press Statement, June 10, 1963	290	(1)
CHAPTER VIII AFTER MEDGAR, NO MORE FEAR	291	(28)
Documents 82-89
82 President Kennedy to Myrlie Evers, June 13, 1963	298	(1)
83 Bill Peters, "A Talk with Medgar Evers," New York Post, June 12 and 16, 1963	298	(6)
84 Myrlie Evers, "He Said He Wouldn't Mind Dying—If...," Life, June 28, 1963	304	(5)
85 Myrlie Evers, Remarks in Acceptance of the 48th Spingarn Medal for Medgar Evers (posthumously) at the 54th Annual NAACP Convention, July 4, 1963	309	(1)
86 Medgar W. Evers, Address, "Our Need for Political Participation," Tougaloo College, Jackson, Mississippi, no date	310	(3)
87 Medgar W. Evers, Address, "Ingratitude vs. the NAACP," no date, no location	313	(2)
88 Medgar W. Evers, Address, "Life Challenges for Today's Youth," no date, no location	315	(1)
89 Medgar W. Evers, Address, "The Challenge Is Ours," no date, no location	316	(3)
Notes	319	(8)
Bibliography	327	(4)
Index	331