Interior Secretary David Bernhardt announced Thursday the establishment of a national monument honoring legendary civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, who was assassinated in 1963, and his widow Myrlie Evers at their former home in Jackson, Mississippi.
The three-bedroom ranch-style house was officially designated the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument after being acquired through a conveyance from Tougaloo College on June 18, according to the department.
“It is an honor to establish the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument,” said Mr. Bernhardt. “Medgar Evers was a true American hero who fought the Nazis at Normandy and fought racism with his wife Myrlie on the home front. It is our solemn responsibility as caretakers of America’s national treasures to tell the whole story of America’s heritage for the benefit of present and future generations.”
Mr. Evers, the first field secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Mississippi, led voter-registration drives and boycotts against segregation before he was shot and killed at age 37 outside his home by a white supremacist.
Mr. Evers, a World War II Army veteran, was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. His wife Myrlie Evers, now 87, later served as national chair of the NAACP and delivered the invocation at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration.
The national monument, which was authorized by Congress and signed into law by President Trump in March 2019, consists of an 0.15-acre parcel of land as well as the Evers’ home. Plans are underway to allow visitors.
“While the home is not currently open to public tours, in the coming months the National Park Service will work with partners and the community to develop plans to accommodate visitors,” said the Interior Department press release.
The establishment of the monument, which becomes the 423rd unit under the management of the National Park Service, was praised by Mississippi lawmakers, Tougaloo College president Carmen J. Walters, and Reena and James Van Evers, the Evers’ two surviving children.
“We are delighted that our house, always enclosed in love and respect, is nestled in a community that provides hope and opportunity,” said the Evers children in a statement. “It’s still serving as a reminder of our divided past and an educational tool to bring knowledge, excellence, and positive participation to all who visit to study icons in American history: our parents, Medgar and Myrlie Evers.”
Medgar and Myrlie Evers’ home officially listed as national monument
— Jade Bulecza (@jbulecza) December 10, 2020
(Via WJTV 12) https://t.co/azvwQ0QxMs
The home, built in 1956, was donated by the family to Tougaloo College in 1993 and designated a national historic landmark in 2016.
Ms. Walters said that the college was “honored to partner with the National Park Service to advance the legacy of Medgar and Myrlie Evers and preserve their home, both of which are significant to the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi.”
“The monument will be important to the study and understanding of the civil rights struggle,” she said.
Sen. Roger Wicker, Mississippi Republican, said he was “proud to champion legislation with Representative Bennie Thompson and Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith to designate this historic site as a national monument and preserve it for future generations.”
Mr. Thompson praised the designation as “an everlasting tribute” to the legacy of Mr. Evers, while Ms. Hyde-Smith said the site will honor the Evers and “also stand in recognition of the overall pursuit of equality and justice in Mississippi and our nation.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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