[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15782]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  COMMENDING MEDGAR WILEY EVERS AND MYRLIE EVERS-WILLIAMS, FOR THEIR 
                       LIVES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 16, 2003

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of this resolution, which commemorates and honors the lives of Medgar 
Evers and Myrlie Evers-Williams. These two outstanding Americans 
dedicated their lives to the struggle for civil rights, and Medgar 
Evers paid the ultimate price with his life. What makes Medgar and 
Myrlie even more remarkable is that they sought to change the 
situation, instead of letting the situation overcome them, they tried 
to overcome it.
  The struggles that Medgar and Myrlie witnessed and endured as they 
attempted to integrate African-Americans into larger society are 
struggles that all minorities can identify and empathize with. As 
someone that has experienced racism, I empathize with Medgar and 
Myrlie's struggle, as do many Americans black, white and all colors in 
between.
  Against extraordinary odds, they both received post-secondary 
educations in a racial climate that was filled with tension, and 
challenged a system that said that blacks were not good enough, not 
equal but, actually inferior to their white counterparts.
  Medgar Evers, with his wife by his side, led the charge for civil 
rights in Mississippi for African-Americans. After the United States 
Supreme Court determined that segregation was unconstitutional, Medgar 
was the first African-American to apply to the University of 
Mississippi Law School but he was denied.
  This denial did not deter Medgar and Myrlie from their pursuit of 
justice and equality. In 1954, Medgar accepted a position with the 
NAACP as their Mississippi Field Secretary and made Myrlie his 
secretary.
  Together they aggressively attacked the racist societal barriers that 
continued to oppress African-Americans. They worked tirelessly to 
empower African-Americans by registering them to vote. They also 
organized rallies, built the NAACP's membership, and traveled around 
the country to educate the public, despite numerous threats.
  Even though it's the 21st century, we have an obligation to remember 
and acknowledge the people who dedicated themselves to the fight for 
civil rights in our past. We owe them a debt of gratitude and a 
commitment to continue their efforts.

                          ____________________