Charles Evers
On September 11, 1922, Civil Rights Activist, James Charles Evers Was Born In Decatur, Mississippi.
The Older Brother Of Medgar Evers Introduced His Younger, More Well-Known Sibling, Into The Civil Rights Movement, But Was An Important Figure, In His Own Right.
In 1956, Evers Moved To Chicago Where He Got Involved With Running Numbers For The "Mob," Managing Prostitutes And Other Forms Of Hustling. And While He Admits That His Lifestyle Was Less Than "Pristine," He Says He Has Always Been Commited To The Civil Rights Struggle And Used The Money He Made (And It Was A Substantial Amount) To Finance The Civil Right Movement In Mississippi.
Charles Evers Returned To Mississippi 1963, Following His Brother's Murder By Ku Klux Klan Member, Byron De La Beckwith. Angry And Determined To On Avenge Medgar's Death, He Eventually Decided To Channel His Energy In A More Positive Direction, In Order To Bring About Change For Black Mississippians.
He Took Over Medgar's Position As Head Of The NAACP. In 1969, Evers Became Mayor Of Fayette, MS -- The First Black To Become Mayor In A Racially-Mixed, Mississippi Town , Since Reconstruction. He Popularized The Slogan, "Hands That Once Picked Cotton Can Now Pick The Mayor."
As Mayor Of Fayette His Impact Was Immediate. He Single-Handedly Created Jobs And Industry For The Small, Black Majority Town. Under His Administration, Jefferson County Received A Jobs Training Center, A City Courthouse And Jail, A Health Care Clinic And Apartments For The Poor And Elderly.
Evers Served As Mayor Of Fayette For Several Terms. He Later Ran For Governor Of Mississippi --- Losing The Race, But Inspiring Other African American Candidates To Become Politically Active.
He Ran As An Independent Candidate For The U.S. Senate In 1978. He Came In Third, Getting 24% Of The Mississippi Vote.
In 1996, His Autobiography, Have No Fear, Was Published. Today Charles Evers Works Tirelessly As A Black Business Advocate. He Is Also An Adviser To Local And National Political Leaders. Most Importantly, He Continues His Role As An Activist For The Rights Of Black People In Mississippi And Around The World.
HAPPY 85TH BIRTHDAY, MR. "E!"
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
