Medgar Evers’ family home gets national monument designation in Mississippi
The Mississippi home of Medgar Evers, a civil rights leader who was killed by a Ku Klux Klan member in 1963, is now a national monument.
The U.S. Department of the Interior made the announcement Thursday, saying the “modest, 3-bedroom” home in Jackson is the 423rd unit of the National Park System.
Medgar Evers and his wife, Myrlie, “devoted their lives to ending racial injustice and improving the quality of life for African Americans,” according to a news release from the DOI.
Evers, a World War II veteran who served as the NAACP’s first field officer in Mississippi, was assassinated outside his home by a white supremacist on June 12, 1963.He was shot in the back “with a bullet that ricocheted into his home” where his wife and children were inside, the NAACP says.
Evers’ efforts to combat racism and segregation in Mississippi made him the target of multiple threats and assassination attempts in the the weeks before his death.
In a statement, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt lauded the late activist as a “true American hero” for his military service and his quest for racial justice alongside his wife, Myrlie, who later served as NAACP chairwoman.
“It is our solemn responsibility as caretakers of America’s national treasures to tell the whole story of America’s heritage for the benefit of present and future generations,” Bernhardt said. “The life works of these great Americans helped shape our nation in making the United States a more perfect union, and for that, we should all be grateful.”
State Rep. Bennie Thompson and Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker spearheaded the push to make the Evers’ home a national monument, introducing special legislation in 2018.
President Donald Trump approved the designation in 2019.
“The designation of his home is an everlasting tribute to his legacy,” Thompson, Mississippi’s only Black congressman, said in a statement. “The importance of protecting the heritage and important artifacts for the enjoyment of all, and historical understanding, cannot be overstated. I am honored that the legacy of an icon in American history, Medgar Wiley Evers will forever be preserved.”
The park service will manage the property. It’s not open for tours at this time, but officials said plans are being made to accommodate guests in the future.
This story was originally published December 11, 2020 at 12:19 PM with the headline "Medgar Evers’ family home gets national monument designation in Mississippi."