(Photo Courtesy: Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Archives and Records Services Division, Moncrief Collection [#466])
Charles Evers, the longtime civil rights activist and older brother of Medgar Evers, has passed away at the age of 97.
Following his brother’s murder in 1963, Charles, a WWII veteran, returned to Mississippi where he succeeded Medgar as the field secretary of the NAACP. In the role, he continued to fight for equality while organizing boycotts, protests, and registration campaigns. In 1969, Evers made history when he was elected as the mayor of Fayette, Mississippi — becoming the first African-American mayor of a racially-mixed Mississippi city in the post-Reconstruction era.
Evers went on to run for Governor in 1971 and a Senate seat in 1978, but he was unsuccessful in both races.
Shortly after news broke of Evers’ death, Governor Tate Reeves issued the following statement on Twitter.
Rest In Peace, Charles Evers. He was a civil rights leader and a true friend to me and so many Mississippians. His memory will always be cherished and honored.
— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) July 22, 2020
According to the Mississippi Encyclopedia, Evers hosted the Medgar Wiley Evers Homecoming Celebration, which honors his brother’s life and legacy, since 1973.
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