Medgar Evers to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

Today, President Biden has named Medgar Evers as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Medgar Evers was born in 1925 into a farming family in Decatur, Mississippi. He went on to fought for his country in World War II and returned him to lead the fight against segregation in Mississippi.

He was murdered at his home at age 37, his wife Myrlie continued the fight to seek justice and equality in his name.

Evers’ life and work has inspired many works of art including songs by Bob Dylan and the 1996 film ‘The Ghosts of Mississippi.’

In 1970, a college was founded in his name, The Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York in Brooklyn, New York.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public, or private endeavors.