Imagine you are living in Mississippi in the 1950’s, a time of extreme racism, you are an African American man who has been faced with a choice to stand up for your rights or stay idle and pray for the best. Medgar Evers was born in Decatur to James and Jessie Evers, he was one of four children. He fought in World War II and went to Alcorn state where he was a member of the debate team and choir. Medgar Evers was a brave Civil Rights worker from Mississippi whose life was taken from him prematurely by a reluctant KKK member. When he was murdered the initial shock was tremendous because he was the first state field secretary of the NAACP in Mississippi. Nowadays he has many programs left behind in honor of him dedicated to advancing the social …show more content…
The state field secretary of the NAACP was murdered by a Klansman by the name of Byron De La Beckwith. On June 12, 1963, at 37 years of age Medgar was shot to death by a white supremacist in his driveway. Byron was a salesman most of his life as well as a Klansman. Byron escaped conviction with a hung jury but thirty years later he was retried and sentenced to life in prison where he died in 2001 due to cardiovascular disease. “ As state field secretary, ...he recruited new members for the NAACP and organized voter-registration efforts. Evers also led demonstrations and economic boycotts of white-owned companies that practiced discrimination”. (Biography.com) The death of Medgar Evers is so terrible because he was killed because of the color of his skin, it just shows how stubborn people were to change back …show more content…
Today there is the Medgar Evers institute which works to achieving complete racial equality. He has made a huge impact on Mississippi because so much of his legacy is left behind. “In 1989, she founded the Medgar Evers Institute, with the initial goal of preserving and advancing the legacy of Medgar Evers’ life’s work.” Medgar Evers was an amazing person and his legacy will forever live on throughout the multitude of programs he has dedicated to him.
Medgar Evers was a leader in civil rights who was murdered by a KKK member. The whole nation was in shock at his death because he was a world leader in civil rights. His impact on today's society is tremendous because he has many institutes dedicated to him and helping his cause. He was so important to the world because his work led to the freedom of Americans. He granted freedom that was originally supposed to be had in the first place but was unfairly stolen from them. He is such an important piece of history because of his life's work and his legacy is so