RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, June 12, 2013, marked the 50 1 anniversary of the assassination of noted civil rights activist Medgar Evers; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of this anniversary by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, Born and raised in Mississippi, Medgar Evers was a dedicated student who placed a high value on education; and
WHEREAS, A proud World War II veteran, Medgar Evers was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in 1945 with the rank of sergeant; and
WHEREAS, A 1952 graduate of Mississippi's Alcorn College, Medgar Evers and his wife settled in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, a major center for civil rights activities; and
WHEREAS, Active with the Regional Council of Negro Leadership, Medgar Evers organized boycotts of filling stations which excluded blacks from their restrooms; and
WHEREAS, As Mississippi's first field secretary for the NAACP, Medgar Evers helped organize many other boycotts and set up new local chapters; and
WHEREAS, Medgar Evers was involved in several legal challenges to racist admission polices at Mississippi educational institutions; and
WHEREAS, With his civil rights advocacy and efforts to bring the killers of Emmett Till to justice, Medgar Evers roused the ire of many opposed to the civil rights movement; and
WHEREAS, On the morning of June 12, 1963, Medgar Evers was gunned down in the driveway of his home and died fifty minutes later at a hospital; and
WHEREAS, On June 19, 1963, Medgar Evers received a military burial with full honors in Arlington National Cemetery; and
WHEREAS, Byron De La Beckwith was arrested for the murder of Medgar Evers on June 21, 1963, but was released when two juries became deadlocked over the verdict; and
WHEREAS, Brought to trial again in 1994, Byron De La Beckwith was tried and convicted for the murder of Medgar Evers based on newly unearthed evidence; and
WHEREAS, Medgar Evers' compelling story and tragic death have inspired many socially conscious artists, writers and film makers to celebrate his noble role in the civil rights movement; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members of the Chicago City Council, assembled this twenty-sixth day of June, 2013, do hereby recognize* Medgar Evers for his tireless devotion to civil rights; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Myrlie Evers, the widow of Medgar Evers