WASHINGTON (WJTV) – On Friday, Medgar Wiley Evers will be posthumously receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Evers, a World War II veteran and civil rights leader, was assassinated on June 12, 1963, in the driveway of his home in Jackson, Mississippi.
“My heart is full from the news of this extraordinary honor. My beloved husband, Medgar, was the love of my life, my steadfast partner, and a devoted, loving father. To the world, he was a civil rights leader; to me and our three children, he was the world. Medgar balanced his monumental public role with a dedication to his family like no other,” said Myrlie Evers-Williams, his widow.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest U.S. civilian honor awarded to individuals who have made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” Awardees are selected by the president.
After returning home from World War II, Evers held several leadership roles in civil rights groups. He recruited volunteers, led demonstrations, and organized voter-registration drives. In recognition of his role in the Civil Rights Movement, he was posthumously awarded the NAACP Spingarn Medal for outstanding achievement, and he is featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The Mississippi Delegation expressed their support for this award to President Biden.
“This is a powerful way to honor Medgar Evers’ life and legacy. The fact that he is receiving this award sixty years after his death is proof that he has inspired the generations that followed. His work did not die with him in 1963. I am grateful to the president for selecting this native son of our state for this well-deserved distinction,” U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said.
“The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a testament to Medgar Evers’ enduring impact on not only Mississippi but also the nation. Over sixty years after his death, his tireless pursuit of equality for African Americans in our state continues to resonate throughout generations. As someone deeply influenced by his legacy, I am honored to witness this recognition. I extend my gratitude to President Biden for acknowledging Medgar Evers’ pivotal role in our history and bestowing upon him this well-deserved honor,” said U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.).
Mississippi natives who have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom include: civil rights activist James Earl Chaney (2014); Representative G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery (2005); Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise (1970); historian Dumas Malone (1983); musical artists Leontyne Price (1964) and B.B. King (2006); writers Eudora Welty (1980) and Tennessee Williams (1980); and media mogul Oprah Winfrey (2013).