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‘A Legacy of Courage’: Natchez NAACP to honor Medgar Evers with two-day celebration

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Medgar Evers (Photo courtesy of National Park Services)

NATCHEZ, Miss. (VDN) — The Natchez Branch of the NAACP will host a two-day celebration in early July to honor the life and legacy of civil rights leader Medgar Wiley Evers in recognition of what would have been his 100th birthday.

The centennial commemoration, titled “A Celebration of the Life and Work of Medgar Wiley Evers (July 2, 1925 – June 12, 1963),” is free and open to the public. It is a collaborative effort between the Natchez NAACP, the Natchez Business and Civic League, the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture, and Visit Natchez.

“Medgar Wiley Evers worked tirelessly in Mississippi to overturn racial segregation in schools and public facilities and to expand opportunities for African American citizens both economically and politically,” said Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, president of the Natchez NAACP. “He gave his life to make Mississippi and America a better place for all. His work transcended our state and impacted the entire nation.”

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 1, with a social gathering followed by a 6 p.m. panel discussion at the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture, located at 301 Main St.

Panelists include:

  • Olivia Spann, supervisory park ranger at the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National Monument
  • Dr. Shirley Evers-Manly, interim dean, Alcorn State University School of Nursing
  • Dr. Marcus Ward, senior vice president of Institutional Advancement at Alcorn and executive director of the ASU Foundation

Spann will speak on Evers’ civil rights work in Mississippi, including his investigation into the 1955 murder of Emmett Till. Ward will discuss Evers’ time at Alcorn A&M College from 1948 to 1952 and how it shaped his commitment to human rights. He’ll also highlight how Medgar and Myrlie Evers have influenced Alcorn’s legacy since 1963.

Dr. Roscoe Barnes III, cultural heritage tourism manager for Visit Natchez, will moderate the discussion. Loki Mulholland, an Emmy-winning filmmaker and director of The Evers, will offer remarks via Zoom.

The program will also feature a praise dance video, “I’ve Been Buked and I’ve Been Scorned,” and the short film, “Medgar & Myrlie Evers: A Legacy of Courage and Activism.”

On Wednesday, July 2, The Evers will be screened at 6 p.m. at Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, located at 117 Pilgrim Blvd. The evening will open with a devotion from Rev. Melvin White, followed by introductory remarks from Arceneaux-Mathis. A reception will follow in the church fellowship hall.

Evers, a native of Decatur, was the first NAACP field secretary in Mississippi. He became a national figure for his advocacy in voting rights, school integration, and ending racial violence. He was assassinated in 1963 in the carport of his Jackson home. His death became a catalyst for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to the National Park Service.

For more information, contact Joyce Mathis at 601-807-4319 or Roscoe Barnes III at 601-492-3004.

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Vicksburg Daily News