Mississippi legislators working to preserve legacy of Medgar Evers

Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Thad Cochran (R-MS)  introduced legislation last week that could eventually lead to the home of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers becoming part of the National Park Service.

Evers was a World War II veteran and civil rights leader who fought to overturn segregation at the University of Mississippi. He was assassinated on June 12, 1963, in the driveway of his home in Jackson, Mississippi. 

If signed into law, Wicker and Cochran’s bill would authorize a study to evaluate the national significance of Evers’ home, which has been preserved by Tougaloo College as a museum. The study will collect data and then determine the feasibility of designating the home as a National Park.

The site is already designated as a Mississippi landmark under the State Antiquity Law, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“The Medgar Wiley Evers Home Museum honors the life of a leader who helped shape the civil rights movement,” Wicker said. “With several thousand visitors every year, the museum merits an evaluation for inclusion in the National Parks System. If awarded, this designation would be a great honor for all Mississippians.”

The Senate bill is a companion bill to a measure introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS). It also would ensure that the study acknowledge any possible alternatives for preserving, protecting and interpreting the site by federal, state or local governments, as well as private organizations.

“Medgar Evers was a pivotal civil rights leader, who fought for justice and helped change Mississippi and the nation for the better,” Cochran said. “The study authorized by our legislation would direct the National Park Service to help determine how best to preserve his legacy.”