Synopses & Reviews
On the evening of June 11, 1963--the day President John F. Kennedy gave his most impassioned speech about the need for interracial tolerance--Medgar Evers, the NAACP's first field secretary in Mississippi, was shot and killed by an assassin's bullet in his driveway. The still-smoking gun--bearing the fingerprints of Byron De La Beckwith, a staunch white supremacist--was recovered moments later in some nearby bushes. Still, Beckwith remained free for over thirty years, until Evers's widow finally forced the Mississippi courts to bring him to justice. The Autobiography of Medgar Evers tells the full story of one the greatest leaders of the civil rights movement, bringing his achievement to life for a new generation. Although Evers's memory has remained a force in the civil rights movement, the legal battles surrounding his death have too often over shadowed the example and inspiration of his life. Myrlie Evers-Williams and Manning Marable have assembled the previously untouched cache of Medgar's personal documents, writings, and speeches. These remarkable pieces 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 landmark Brown v. Board of Education. case. Most important of all are the recollections of Myrlie Evers, combined with letters from her personal collection. These documents and memories from the backbone of The Autobiography of Medgar Evers-- a cohesive narrative detailing the rise and tragic death of a civil rights hero.
Synopsis
The Autobiography of Medgar Evers is 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 NAACPs first field secretary in Mississippi. Myrlie Evers-Williams, Medgars widow, partnered with Manning Marable, one of the countrys leading black scholars, to develop this book based on the previously untouched cache of Medgars personal documents and writings. These writings range from Medgars monthly reports to the NAACP to his correspondence with luminaries of the time such as Robert Carter, General Counsel for the NAACP in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case. Still, most moving of all, is the preface written by Myrlie Evers.
Synopsis
One of Americas leading black intellectuals teams up with Myrlie Evers-Williams to bring us the first-ever definitive look at the life, work, and tragic death of civil rights hero Medgar Evers
About the Author
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.