M  edgar Evers—born July 2, 1925 in Decatur, Mississippi—was a prominent and pioneering civil rights leader during a time of deep racial segregation and discrimination in the United States. His dedication to the fight for equality and justice led him to become the NAACP’s first field secretary in Mississippi where he organized voter registration drives and challenged racial segregation. He also recruited new civil rights activists, organized protests, and participated in the investigation of the murder of Emmett Till—a case that drew national attention to the injustices suffered by Black Americans.

By living through America’s racial tensions in the South, Medgar Evers learned that change would only come through the hard work of confronting societal inequities. His distinguished service in the United States Army during World War II and his love for his family—wife Myrlie, and children Darrell, Reena, and James—laid the groundwork for his drive to fight for a better America.

Prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Black Americans and other minorities faced discriminatory practices that made exercising their right to vote almost impossible—these included poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation by white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Medgar Evers worked tirelessly to expand awareness of these disenfranchisement efforts with the goal of opening avenues of empowerment to enable everyone to cast their vote.

In 1955, the abduction, torture, and lynching of Emmett Till in Mississippi horrified America. Medgar Evers played a key role in Till’s murder investigation, working closely with the Till family and gathering evidence and witnesses to bring the murderers to justice. Despite all that work, the all-white jury acquitted the defendants. The case highlighted the South’s prevailing racial divide and served as a catalyst for the civil rights movement.

Medgar Evers’ status as an important civil rights leader for racial equality also made him a target of numerous intimidation tactics meant to silence his work. This included the firebombing of his family’s home in Jackson, Mississippi.

Evers remained resolute in his fight for equal rights until his tragic assassination on June 12, 1963 as he was getting out of his car upon arriving home. Medgar Evers’ legacy lives on today through the thousands of civil rights activists who have been inspired by his passion for human rights.

“Freedom has never been free,” he said. We each must claim our courage to work against injustice however we can to honor Medgar Evers’ sacrifice as well as our own convictions that equality matters.