As featured in December 1996/January
1997
My Journey of a Thousand Miles
By Myrlie Evers
"Medgar, I've gone the last mile of the journey," was all I could utter that victorious day in February 1994, when the verdict was handed down to convict Byron de La Beckwith of murdering my beloved husband, Medgar Evers. I remember looking across the courtroom and seeing the firm sense of conviction on the faces of the jury as the verdict was being read. "Guilty!" Then I remember this surge of emotion as all of the demons of the past were escaping through every pore of my body. It had been so long, such an uphill battle. My children and I were finally free.
Much has been written about the two trials that preceded this one. About how all-white juries neglected to find sufficient evidence to convict-even though the evidence pointed straight to Beckwith. Finally, after 30 years, justice was served!
Medgar dedicated his life to fighting for justice and equality. Unfortunately, because he wanted no publicity or glory for himself and because there was little to no media coverage of the very early 1950s' Civil Rights efforts in Mississippi, Medgar became "the forgotten leader." Most people still don't know how large a part he played in the Civil Rights Movement. Medgar was the first black to file for admission to the University of Missipi; became the first Mississippi field secretary for the NAACP; investigated lynchings and murders, the most noted was the Emmett Til case; set up an "escape network" for threatened blacks to safely flee Mississippi; successfully fought against the biased written test and poll tax restraints that limited blacks' right to vote; launched state-wide registration drives; eliminated segregated and unequal education in Mississippi by filing a lawsuit on behalf of his son-Darrell Kenyatta Evers vs. the State of Mississippi.
Within days after Medgar's assassination, the first black policemen were hired in Jackson, Mississippi; their duties were restricted to their communities; the public libraries, swimming pools, restaurants, and movie theatres were open to all; retail stores allowed blacks to try on clothing; jobs were upgraded; and finally the dignity of being called by name instead of "boy" or "girl" became a reality. Equally important was a change in attitudes. His people chanted at community meetings, "After Medgar, No More Fear!"
These are just a few of Medgar's tremendous accomplishments during the short time that God allowed him to be among us. What made him so identifiable with the average man was that he didn't try to fight a national battle. His battle was personal, for his right as a human being and as a black man, to live freely and comfortably and to have access to the same opportunities as anyone else. Now we seem to take all of these changes for granted. I don't think Medgar knew in the beginning that his actions would be so far-reaching. He had a mission and it was accomplished.
For 30 years, I had a very personal mission-researching, inquiring, praying that any hint of evidence would be found to reaffirm the case. It happened and a grand jury ordered a third trial. Often I was disappointed, but never discouraged. There never came a time when I thought of giving up. I was prepared to keep my promise to Medgar to go with him the last mile of the way.
Since Medgar's death, I have been invited to speak all over the world. I share my story, my hopes, the plans and vision for the future. But I am saddened by the determined efforts of some to eliminate the gains we have made, to turn the clock back to the past, and in seeing too many young African Americans unable to fully grasp the importance of the opportunities of today. Hopefully, those who see this film will be encouraged to continue with the struggle and be inspired by what a great man Medgar Evers really was.
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