Medgar+Evers+assassinated

=**Medgar Evers Assassinated**=

Overview
Medgar Evers was shot in the back at his home on June 12, 1963. He was returning home after an NAACP meeting. He was shot by Byron De La Beckwith, a white supremacist and a member of the Klu Klux Klan. Beckwith shot him with an Enfiladed .303. After being shot, Evers was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead in less than an hour.

==Main Point== Medgar Evers was born on July 2, 1925 in Decatur, Mississippi. He has and average life of an African American growing up in Mississippi. When Evers grew up he joined the military and fought in Europe. He was honorably discharged in 1945. He then attended Alcorn State University, where he got a degree in Business administration. After he graduated, he worked as an insurance salesman and got started in has work for the NAACP. Over the next couple of years, Evers rose through the ranks of the NAACP. IN 1954 he was appointed as the First State Field Secretary of Mississippi. He was now arguably the most prominent Civil Rights Activist in Mississippi. Over the next nine years Evers was subject to violent attacks along with his family. He received constant death threats and his house was burned down after a Molotov cocktail was thrown throw one of its windows.

Conclusion/Historical Significance
After Evers was assassinated, his funeral was held at Arlington National Cemetery. He was given full military honors for his service in WWII. Thousands of people attended his funeral, as a testament of his character. An outraged nation pushed legislation to create the Civil Rights Act of 1964. His assassin, Beckwith was put on trial, and twice his "white" jurors were deadlocked, which allowed him to walk free. This was extremely controversial because the evidence that was provided against him was overpowering. Evidence included, Beckwith owning the gun that killed Evers and his fingerprints on the gun and bullet fired at Evers. He had somehow created an alibi that put him in another place at the time of the shooting. However 31 years later his trial was reopened and Beckwith was sentenced to life in prison.

Newspaper Articles
The Free-Lance Star The Free-Lance Star

References (2009-10.1.2.G)
"Medgar Evers." //Africa Within//. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. . "Medgar Evers Biography -." //Biography.com//. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. .