Myra Ribeiro

This is a well-written, detailed book of the life and death of Civil Rights hero, and Mississippi State Field Secretary for the NAACP, Medgar Evers. Traveling thousands of miles throughout the state stressing the importance of the right for the black people to be able to vote while also challenging and trying to change unjust laws that blatantly discriminated against African Americans, Evers was an important leader in the Civil Rights movement.

Refusing to accept the cruelty, the barbaric extreme racist measures that were in place, Medgar soon became at the top of the Ku Kux Klan hit list of those who should be murdered.

A long-time racist and bigot Byron De La Beckwith Jr. bragged about the amount of black people he murdered. A member of the KKK, he was obsessed with maintaining segregation in Mississippi. Considered a dedicated member of the KKK, but also considered "weird" and on the fringe, during the days before Medgar's murder, he was seen at rallys where Evers spoke. Others noted they saw him repeatedly driving near Medgar's house and hanging out at a vacant lot across the street from the Ever's home.

In cold blooded fashion, with a recently purchased scope on the end of his gun, he shot Medgar in his driveway late at night after he returned home from a rally. Wearing a white shirt, it was easy to spot Medgar as his target, and Byron hit and killed with the first shot.

Ironically, a few hours previously, Medgar's family watched John F. Kennedy's speech of hope and the need to make all men and women free with equal rights for all. Medgar's wife and two of his three children were still awake when they heard his car pull in the driveway. Shortly thereafter, they heard the shot ring out through the dark night. Running toward their father's body, they begged him to get up.

Approximately one hour later, he died.

All evidence pointed to De La Beckwith, yet twice he was tried by all white juries and was freed to go.

When years later, the case was re opened, Medgar's wife, Myrlie, was cautiously optimistic. Lost crime scene photos were found, and Myrlie had a copy of the transcript of the first trial . In addition, people were now ready to testify against Beckwith.

Arrogant, haughty, bigoted and down right despicable, Beckwith's demeanor throughout the trail was one of disbelief that he would be found guilty. The third trial jury included eight blacks and four whites. Legal arguments were processed all the way up to the supreme court before the trial began. On February 5th, 1994, Medgar and his family had the justice they so deserved.

Beckwith was found guilty and served his term until he died in 2001 when he was then 80.… (meer)