Who was Medgar Wiley Evers?
Q: Who was Medgar Wiley Evers?
A: Medgar Wiley Evers was an American civil rights activist from Decatur Mississippi. He is best known for his work to overturn racial segregation in the United States in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Q: What did he do?
A: He became a field secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and worked to get African Americans admitted to the all-white University of Mississippi. He also worked for other changes in the nation's then-segregated society, such as voting rights and registration, economic opportunity, and access to public facilities for African Americans.
Q: When was he assassinated?
A: Medgar Wiley Evers was assassinated by Byron De La Beckwith on June 12th, 1963.
Q: What group did De La Beckwith belong to?
A: Byron De La Beckwith belonged to a group called “White Citizens' Council” which was formed in 1954 to resist integration of schools and civil rights activity in America.
Q: Was De La Beckwith convicted?
A: An all-white jury failed to convict De La Beckwith in his first two trials; however, he was finally convicted 30 years later in 1994 based on new evidence.
Q: Who were some of Medgar Wiley Evers' family members who went on become activists?
A: His wife Myrlie Evers became a noted activist serving as national chair of the NAACP while his brother Charles Evers became the first African-American mayor elected in Mississippi state 1969 Fayette, Mississippi.
