Medgar and Myrlie
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4.8 • 46 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
#1 New York Times Bestseller
NAACP Image Award Winner
From Joy-Ann Reid, a triumphant work of biography that repositions slain Civil Rights pioneer Medgar Evers at the heart of America's struggle for freedom, and celebrates Myrlie Evers's extraordinary activism after her husband's assassination in the driveway of their Mississippi home.
“Medgar Evers deserves a place alongside Malcolm X and Dr. King in our historical memory. Evers, with Myrlie as his partner in activism and in life, was doing civil rights work in the single most hostile and dangerous environment in America.”—from Medgar and Myrlie
Myrlie Louise Beasley met Medgar Evers on her first day of college. They fell in love at first sight, married just one year later, and Myrlie left school to focus on their growing family.
Medgar became the field secretary for the Mississippi branch of the NAACP, charged with beating back the most intractable and violent resistance to black voting rights in the country. Myrlie served as Medgar’s secretary and confidant, working hand in hand with him as they struggled against public accommodations and school segregation, lynching, violence, and sheer despair within their state’s “black belt.” They fought to desegregate the intractable University of Mississippi, organized picket lines and boycotts, despite repeated terroristic threats, including the 1962 firebombing of their home, where they lived with their three young children.
On June 12, 1963, Medgar Evers became the highest profile victim of Klan-related assassination of a black civil rights leader at that time; gunned down in the couple’s driveway in Jackson. In the wake of his tragic death, Myrlie carried on their civil rights legacy; writing a book about Medgar’s fight, trying to win a congressional seat, and becoming a leader of the NAACP in her own right.
In this groundbreaking and thrilling account of two heroes of the civil rights movement, Joy-Ann Reid uses Medgar and Myrlie’s relationship as a lens through which to explore the on-the-ground work that went into winning basic rights for Black Americans, and the repercussions that still resonate today.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Some of the Black activists who fought and died in the ongoing battle for civil rights are in danger of falling through the cracks of popular history—and journalist Joy-Ann Reid wants to ensure that doesn’t happen to Medgar and Myrlie Evers. The married couple worked together, with Medgar serving as the NAACP’s Mississippi field secretary and Myrlie acting as his secretary and behind-the-scenes partner. We were amazed to learn that Medgar personally persuaded terrorized Black citizens to testify against the tragic lynching of Emmett Till and then hurried those witnesses out of Mississippi to escape deadly reprisal. And that’s just one of the high-profile battles the Evers fought before Medgar was brutally assassinated right in front of the family’s home in 1963. Reid brings her sensitive yet commanding presence as a newscaster to her narration, particularly when it comes to Myrlie’s triumphs as an author and as chairwoman of the NAACP following her husband’s death. Get to know this chapter in the ongoing story of the struggle for equality.
Customer Reviews
Fantastic and fabulous insightful and intriguing. A MUST READ.
Loved it.
All the rewards in the world is for you Mrs. Reid…
This book is a great service to humanity just like Mr. & Mrs. Evers. Having grown up in Harlem N.Y. In the 80’s and 90’s learning and knowing your black history was a real thing. Ms. Reid thank you for writing this book and giving me clarity on so many other events rounding out this particular period in time. Especially the events surrounding Mr. Evers and the NAACP’s New York offices. The specificity and detail in which you laid out this American history, is what great storytelling is about.
Amazing
Excellent read, very emotional and educational! Recommend read for everyone.