Myrlie Evers-Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Myrlie Evers-Williams
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Evers-Williams at the Medgar Evers' christening, 2011
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| Chair of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People | |
| In office 1995–1998 |
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| Preceded by | William Gibson |
| Succeeded by | Julian Bond |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Myrlie Louise Beasley
March 17, 1933 Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Spouses |
Walter Williams
(m. 1976; died 1995) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Alcorn State University Pomona College (BA) |
Myrlie Louise Evers-Williams (born March 17, 1933) is an American civil rights leader and journalist. She worked for many years to get justice for her husband, Medgar Evers, who was also a civil rights activist and was murdered in 1963.
Myrlie Evers-Williams also led the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She has written books about civil rights and her husband's important work. In 2013, she gave a special speech at the start of Barack Obama's second term as president.
Contents
Myrlie's Early Life and Education
Myrlie Louise Beasley was born on March 17, 1933, in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Her parents separated when she was very young. Myrlie was raised by her paternal grandmother and an aunt. Both of these women were respected school teachers. They inspired Myrlie to love learning and to follow in their footsteps.
Myrlie went to Magnolia High School and graduated in 1950. She also took piano lessons and performed at school and church. After high school, Myrlie went to Alcorn A&M College. This was one of the few colleges in Mississippi that accepted African-American students. She planned to study education and music.
Meeting Medgar Evers
On her first day at college, Myrlie met Medgar Evers. He was a World War II veteran and eight years older than her. They fell in love and got married on Christmas Eve in 1951. This meeting changed Myrlie's college plans.
After they married, they moved to Mound Bayou. Myrlie worked as a secretary there. They had their first child, Darrell Kenyatta.
Working for Civil Rights with Medgar
In 1954, Medgar Evers became a field secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Mississippi. Myrlie worked closely with him. She became his secretary and helped him organize important events.
They worked together on voter registration drives. They also planned civil rights demonstrations. Their goal was to end racial segregation in schools and public places. They also fought for voting rights for African Americans in the South.
Facing Challenges and Dangers
For over ten years, the Everses fought for equal rights. They worked to desegregate the University of Mississippi. Because they were important civil rights leaders, they faced many threats. In 1962, their home in Jackson, Mississippi, was attacked with firebombs. This happened after they organized a boycott of white businesses in Jackson.
The family was often threatened by groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Sadly, Medgar Evers was murdered in 1963 at their home in Jackson. His home is now a national monument.
Myrlie's Career and Activism
After Medgar's death, Myrlie Evers-Williams moved to Claremont, California, with her children in 1964. She continued her work as a civil rights activist. She earned her college degree in sociology from Pomona College.
In 1967, she co-wrote a book called For Us, the Living. This book told the story of her late husband's life and work. She also tried to run for the U.S. Congress two times. From 1968 to 1970, she worked as a director at the Claremont Colleges.
Working in Business and Community Affairs
From 1973 to 1975, Myrlie was a vice-president at an advertising company in New York. In 1975, she moved to Los Angeles. There, she became the national director for community affairs at the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO).
At ARCO, she managed programs that helped communities. This included giving money to community projects. She also helped organizations like the National Woman's Educational Fund. She worked with groups that provided meals to people in need.
Leading the NAACP
Myrlie Evers-Williams always looked for ways to help her community. She also continued to work with the NAACP. In 1987, the mayor of Los Angeles appointed her as a commissioner on the Board of Public Works. She was the first Black woman to hold this position. She served for eight years.
Myrlie Evers-Williams also joined the board of the NAACP. In the mid-1990s, the NAACP was facing problems. It had financial difficulties and its reputation was suffering. Myrlie decided to run for chairperson of the board of directors to help.
Restoring the NAACP's Image
She won the position in 1995. Her second husband had passed away that same year. As chairperson, Myrlie Evers-Williams worked hard to improve the NAACP's image. She also helped improve its financial situation. She raised enough money to pay off all its debts.
Myrlie Evers-Williams received many awards for her work. Ms. Magazine named her Woman of the Year. Once the NAACP was financially stable, she decided not to run for re-election in 1998. In that same year, she received the NAACP's highest honor, the Spingarn Medal.
Other Achievements and Recognition
After leaving her role as NAACP chairwoman, Evers-Williams started the Medgar Evers Institute in Jackson, Mississippi. She also wrote her autobiography, Watch Me Fly: What I Learned on the Way to Becoming the Woman I Was Meant to Be (1999). She also edited a book about Medgar Evers's own writings and speeches.
In 2009, she received the National Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. Ebony magazine named her one of the "100 Most Fascinating Black Women of the 20th Century." She has also received seven honorary doctorates from different universities.
In 2012, Alcorn State University announced that Evers-Williams would be a special scholar there.
On January 21, 2013, Myrlie Evers-Williams gave the opening prayer at Barack Obama's second presidential inauguration. She was the first woman and the first non-clergy person to give this prayer at a presidential inauguration.
Myrlie's Personal Life
Myrlie married her classmate Medgar Evers on December 24, 1951. They had three children: Darrell Kenyatta, Reena Denise, and James Van Dyke Evers. Medgar was murdered in 1963.
In 1976, Myrlie married Walter Williams. He was a civil rights and union activist. They moved to Bend, Oregon, in 1993. Walter Williams passed away from cancer in 1995.
Images for kids
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Evers-Williams at the Medgar Evers christening, 2011
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Evers-Williams in 2000
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Evers-Williams delivering the invocation at the 2013 Presidential Inauguration
