STARKVILLE — A mother’s stories to her young son never went away. The son remembered them and wrote them down for everyone to remember.
Michael V. Williams, in one way or another, has always heard or read about civil rights icon Medgar Evers.
It started as a child when his mother, who home-schooled Williams, lamented the lack of attention Evers’ activism and sacrifice received. As Mississippi natives, Evers’ work was relevant to the Williams family.
But more often than not, Evers’ place among the civil rights martyrs drew attention to the circumstances of his death and the inability of all-white juries to convict the killer in two trials in the 1960s.
Born seven years after Evers’ assassination in 1963, Williams grew up on the heels of the civil rights movement, just as change was being implemented throughout the South.
He remained captivated by his mother’s continued support of Evers as a state hero and unappreciated pillar of the civil rights movement across the country.
The assistant professor of history and African-American studies at Mississippi State University wrote a book titled “Medgar Evers: Mississippi Martyr,” which was released Nov. 1. The biography chronicles Evers’ life and work up to his murder in 1963 and gives readers a fresh perspective of Evers’ everyday life as he investigates murders and faces mounting death threats.
Most books about Evers focus on his death or give a broad overview of his work, but Williams took a more analytical approach.
“What I really wanted to know is, what was his activism like? What was his motivation? What were his everyday activities? What drove him?,” he said. “Here is a man who knows death is imminent, yet that makes him push harder.”
Williams holds undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees from the University of Mississippi. He spent more than five years writing “Mississippi Martyr” and conducted numerous interviews with Evers’ family, friends and former classmates. He studied NAACP documents, FBI files and Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission Papers.
“Mississippi Martyr” is an extension of Williams’ dissertation at Ole Miss.
“Even back to his childhood, he’s always thinking about inequality and the problems of racism,” Williams said. “When he comes back from World War II, that’s more ingrained. He immediately starts to organize his brother and other activists in the community to challenge voter discrimination.
“Mississippi is home, and a person takes care of home. His level of devotion and sense of responsibility really stands out.”
The ‘ah-ha’ moment
After the research for his dissertation, Williams knew of Evers’ sacrifice in the face of death. He just didn’t know how grim Evers’ environment was.
Evers investigated the death of Emmitt Till and was a staunch supporter of Clyde Kennard’s efforts to gain admission to what is now the University of Southern Mississippi.
Evers himself tested the state’s education system by applying for law school at Ole Miss. He was denied admission and subsequently sued the school and led a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People movement to desegregate the school.
But as Evers continued to take on more responsibility in the civil rights movement, scrutiny, intimidation and threats grew. He survived several attempts to take his life before his assassination in 1963.
Evers’ perseverance was the most enlightening moment of the research process, he said.
“Toward the end of his life, in talks with his wife, he says, ‘I’m not going to need that new suit. I’m not going to need those new shoes,'” Williams said. “For both of them to know his death was coming really stood out and brought home the idea of devotion and commitment to struggle.
“When Evers is organizing students, and he knows they’re going to go out and be arrested, that weighs on him,” he added. “He sees them as his own children, and he knows they have their own parents. It worries him tremendously, but he’s torn because he knows it’s necessary.”
Williams credits Evers’ work with laying a foundation for groups such as the Congress of Racial Equality and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee to work in Mississippi.
Sense of responsibility
Activism today — at least in the United States — doesn’t carry the same dangers it did in the civil rights era.
Before desegregation, blacks worried about being framed for crimes, even if they weren’t actively speaking against local or state authority. And any challenge of authority instantly made one a target.
It’s a far cry from the peaceful demonstrations of modern day, he said.
“It’s important to get a stronger sense of what activism really means when the consequences and rewards are extremely high,” Williams said. “That’s not to say what people are doing today doesn’t matter because it does. With this, you get a stronger sense of what it means to get up every day and participate in change in a society that doesn’t want to be changed and what that really means. When Evers gets up, when (Dr. Martin Luther) King gets up, it’s important to know that they know they may not get home in the evening. They may be murdered for that.”
Now that “Mississippi Martyr” is complete, Williams said his role as an activist against inequality — in whatever form — is greater. Like Evers, he feels a responsibility to his state and country.
“I remember feeling that when I got my first copy,” he said. “I remember it vividly. Once it’s done and you see it on the table, it’s more than mere satisfaction that it’s complete. There’s now profound responsibility, more than you thought before to challenge inequality.”
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
