Robert F Kennedy Jr. Honors Medgar Evers

"the second biggest was right wing hate terrorist inside the United States, the Oklahoma city bombing. And had the same kind of atmosphere in the United States that you have today.”-Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

This weekend Mississippian's will pay homage to the three civil rights workers who were killed in Neshoba County during the summer of 1964. But this past weekend MPB's Lawayne Childrey caught up with some civil rights veterans at a special reception honoring the memory of Mississippi’s first field secretary for the NAACP, the late Medgar Evers.

46 years ago Medgar Evers was killed by an assassins bullet. Since that time blacks have made great progress both socially and economically. And even though Charles Evers, believes his brother would be proud of the accomplishments there is still more to be done.

“Blacks in Mississippi Now still won’t go register. Blacks won’t vote. And black on black crime is one of the highest in the country. And there’s still many of us who just don’t believe in fighting for what’s right and respecting each other.”

During this time of change in America, hate crimes are still topping the news. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. believes the drumbeat of hate is still being perpetuated.

“And we should remember in this country that the biggest terrorist attack in America in our history was the doing of foreign terrorist. But the second biggest was right wing hate terrorist inside the United States, the Oklahoma city bombing. And had the same kind of atmosphere in the United States that you have today.”

Federal officials are stepping up efforts to re-open unsolved civil rights era cases. Noted civil rights author, Bill Minor says it's going to be difficult to try these cases not only because many of the witnesses have died off. But also because many white's are not willing to deal with it.

“And the best book ever done about that whole period was written by Walter Lord, called the past that would not die. That phrase is more applicable to Mississippi than anything I can think of.”

Minor says although times have changed in Mississippi what's still missing is reconciliation. For MPB news, I'm lawayne Childrey.