Date: 2010-02-02
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I stand before you today in support of H. Res. 1022 "Honoring the life and sacrifice of Medgar Evers and congratulating the United States Navy for naming a supply ship after Medgar Evers." I would like to begin by thanking my colleague Representative HANK JOHNSON for introducing this resolution in the House. as it is important that we honor and remember Medgar Evers for his service to the United States both on the battlefield as an Army sergeant in World War II as well as his service to the United States through his leadership in the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th Century. Evers was born in Decatur. Mississippi. to Jessie and James Evers in 1925 and grew up on his fathers small farm. After reaching adolescence. Evers had a difficult time in obtaining the high school level education he so desperately wanted. Evers however was determined. Every day he would walk 12 miles. each way to school and frequently had objects thrown at him by White children passing by in school buses. In addition to the heckling he frequently received on his way to school. Evers suffered several other seriously traumatic events as a child. In one such instance. a close family friend was kidnapped. beaten up and lynched by a group of White supremacists. Evers was shocked when there was no response to this horrible attack by any local law enforcement officers and no subsequent legal action was taken up in the judicial system. Evers witnessed several other brutal actions taken against local blacks in Decatur. Mississippi. as a youth. He was once quoted as saying: "I used to watch the Saturday night sport of White men trying to run down a Negro with their car. or White gangs coming through town to beat up a Negro." Evers said that sometimes the attackers would even leave the dead bodies of Black men out in the streets and would hang the bloody clothes in public to leave a message of fear. Fortunately. Evers was able to keep his head high and eventually earned his high school diploma in Decatur. Mississippi. before joining the U.S. Army. Evers joined the Army during World War II. fought in France. the European Theatre of WWII and was honorably discharged in 1945 as a Sergeant after admirably serving his country. After being discharged. Evers attended Alcorn College. (now known as Alcorn State University) in Lorman. Mississippi and participated in a wide variety of activities from debate team to the track and football teams. At Alcorn College. Evers met and began dating Myrlie Beasley. The two were eventually married on December 24. 1951. Soon after marriage. the couple moved to Mound Bayou. Mississippi. where Evers began selling insurance for the Magnolia Mutual Life Insurance Company. It was there that Evers met Dr. Theodore Roosevelt Mason Howard. the president of the Regional Council of Negro Leadership. RCNL. a civil rights and pro selfhelp organization. Evers soon became a dynamic member of the RCNL and thus began his political activism career. When his application to the thensegregated University of Mississippi Law School was rejected. Evers filed a lawsuit against the university. and became the focus of an NAACP campaign to desegregate the university. That same year. due to his involvement. the NAACPs National Office suggested he become Mississippis first field secretary for the NAACP. On November 24. 1954. Evers was appointed Mississippis first field secretary for the NAACP. After becoming field secretary. Evers was involved in a boycott campaign against White merchants and was instrumental in eventually desegregating the University of Mississippi when that institution was finally forced to enroll James Meredith in 1962. Sadly. Evers was assassinated outside his home on June 12. 1963. just after returning from a meeting with several NAACP lawyers. Though he was killed in this tragic attack. the legacy that Evers left behind helped to change the course of history and left a strong impact on the Civil Rights Movement. Designated TAKE 13. Medgar Evers will be the 13th ship of the class. and is being built by General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego. As a combat logistics force ship. Medgar Evers will help the Navy maintain a worldwide forward presence by delivering ammunition. food. fuel. and other dry cargo to U.S. and allied ships at sea. As part of Military Sealift Commands Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force. Medgar Evers will be designated as a United States Naval Ship. USNS. and will be crewed by 124 civil service mariners and 11 Navy sailors. The ship is designed to operate independently for extended periods at sea. can carry a helicopter. is 689 feet in length. has an overall beam of 106 feet. has a navigational draft 30 feet. displaces approximately 42.000 tons. and is capable of reaching a speed of 20 knots using a singleshaft. dieselelectric propulsion system. Because of the extensive role Evers had in the Civil Rights Movement and because of his exemplary service in the Armed Forces during World War II. it is important that we recognize this hero for his service to our Nation. I ask my colleagues for their support of this resolution and ask for their continued support of similar national heroes.