After opening a brothel in the Philippines, owning businesses in Philadelphia and Chicago, running numbers, pimping, and bootlegging on the side, Charles Evers had quite the resume. But after the KKK murdered his younger brother, Medgar, in 1963, he took on another job—the Equalizer. Here’s how.
#1: Activism: Fayette, Mississippi, was a majority Black town of 1,600 without a single Black voter. In his 1969 campaign for mayor, Evers’ voter registration drives added 450 Black voters to the rolls. With 60% of the vote, Evers became the first Black mayor in Mississippi since Reconstruction.
#2: Politics: As mayor of Fayette, Evers ended its Jim Crow ordinances. He also invested $10 million in the town to construct factories, medical centers, and businesses, helping create hundreds of well-paying Black jobs.
#3: Community: On the tenth anniversary of his brother’s murder, Evers hosted al Medgar Evers Homecoming, featuring several days of concerts, parades, and other festivities across Mississippi. B.B. King, Muhammad Ali, and Dick Gregory were among the performers.
The KKK foolishly thought that assassinating Medgar Evers would end his work. They had no idea they only fueled it. Every attempt to stop Black liberation will only make our motivation stronger.