Murdered Civil Rights Martyr Evers Honored with Named Naval Supply Ship
October 12, 2009
Friday, prominent Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers – who was murdered in 1963 in his own driveway after meeting with NAACP lawyers – was honored with the naming of a Navy Supply Ship after him. This follows a Navy tradition of giving ships in the support fleet names of honored pioneers, explorers, and other notables.
Medgar Evers, Civil Rights Activist and Honoree
The announcement was made during former Mississippi governor and current Navy Secretary Ray Mabus’s speech at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi.
Evers, who was the NAACP’s first field secretary for the state of Mississippi, was integral during the Civil Rights Movement in MS, in organizing nonviolent protests, voter registration drives, and boycotts. And, his tragic death was the impetus that prompted President John F. Kennedy to ask Congress for a comprehensive civil rights bill.
An administration statement that was released in conjunction with the Navy’s announcement said the following of Evers:
“At a time when our country was wrestling with finally ending segregation and racial injustice, Evers lead civil rights efforts to secure the right to vote for all African-Americans and to integrate public facilities, schools and restaurants.”
Medgar Evers was thirty-seven years old when he was shot, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Sojourn to the Past remembers, recognizes, and honors Civil Rights activists who came before us like Mr. Evers. We hope to continue his legacy of nonviolent, educated actions in the fight for equality for all.
