Medgar Evers
“Freedom has never been free.”
by Erica, Teresa and Kerani
Biography:
● When he was 14 he witnessed his father’s friend being
lynched in Mississippi.
● He grew up on a farm and was one of 4 children. He
constantly experienced discrimination at school because
of his race.
● He was a committed member of National Association of
Advanced Colored People (NAACP).
Biography (cont):
● He pleaded with the all white government in Mississippi
to make some kind of progress in race relations.
● He organized voter organization
drives and demonstrations.
● He was the first civil rights
activists to be assassinated.
● He died being shot in the back
when he was only 37.
Actions:
● Civil Rights leader and member of NAACP
● He helped organize boycotts for the RCNL
(Regional Council of Negro Leadership) in
places such as service stations, where blacks
were denied access to restrooms.
● He was arrested for sitting in a white bus
seat.
● He was given 30 days in jail and a $100 fine
for questioning a conviction of another
black.
Actions (cont):
● He advocated the
appointment of African
American police officers.
● He helped organize the
Jackson Movement- a
campaign to end
segregation in Mississippi.
Changes In Society:
●
●
●
His death caused President John Kennedy to ask Congress for a
comprehensive civil rights bill. A year later President Lyndon was able to
sign it into law.
As a member of the NAACP, he
helped promote equality between
blacks and whites.
His attempted enrollment in the
University of Mississippi led to
other African Americans
attempting to achieve a college
degree.
Citations:
"Medgar Wiley Evers." Dictionary of American Biography. New York: Charles
Scribner's Sons, 1981. U.S. History in Context. Web. 9 Apr. 2015.
"Medgar Evers." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. U.S.
History in Context. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
"NAACP History: Medgar Evers." NAACP History: Medgar Evers. N.p., n.d.
Web. 10 Apr. 2015.