Myriel myrlie evers williams biography

At a Glance …. Medgar Evers Is Slain. Her dogged determination paid off in , when Byron De La Beckwith was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Medgar Evers. A sheltered childhood in Vicksburg, Mississippi did little to prepare young Myrlie Beasley for the violent realities of her adult life. After her parents separated when she was very young, she was raised by her grandmother, Annie McCain Beasley, and an aunt, Myrlie Beasley Polk.

Both of these women were schoolteachers, and they inspired her to follow in their footsteps. But an incident occurred during her first day on campus that would alter her plans. Myrlie met fellow student Medgar Evers — an upperclassman, an Army veteran, and a member of the football team. Myrlie was swept off her feet, and the two were married on Christmas Eve of the following year.

She left school, while Medgar went on to graduate in , with a degree in business administration.

Is an American civil rights activist and journalist who worked for over three decades to seek justice for the murder of her husband Medgar Evers.

Medgar Evers had already been involved in civil rights work for several years. After serving in World War II , he and his brothers had dared to register to vote — a bold move for any black citizen in the South at that time. When election day arrived, however, the Evers brothers, along with other black voters, were blocked from the polls by about armed white men.

Myrlie credited her husband with raising her consciousness about matters of racial pride and justice. Education: Pomona College, B.