Political Quotes

“Today, we recognize a brave martyr of the civil rights movement, Medgar Evers, who also is being honored by the U.S. Navy with the naming of a dry cargo ship after him. Medgar Evers served his country in the U.S. Army during World War II and fought to liberate Europe at the Battle of Normandy. After he was honorably discharged in 1946, he returned home to Mississippi to find racial discrimination and rampant prejudice. This injustice compelled him to fight another battle, this time for civil rights and racial equality at home. As NAACP's first field secretary in Mississippi, he played a leading role in desegregating the University of Mississippi in 1962, as well as led a public investigation into the murder of Emmett Till. Medgar Evers received numerous death threats, yet he was never deterred. He once said, "You can kill a man, but you can't kill an idea." There is bittersweet truth to his words as Evers was murdered in 1963 by one intent on maintaining segregation. Although Evers' dedication to ensuring equality cost him his life, his sacrifice was not in vain.”