US Navy Announces Ship to Honor Late Civil Rights Activist Medgar Evers

Myrlie Evers Williams at the announcement of a ship being named in honor of her late husband, civil rights martyr, Medgar Evers

The Navy is naming one of its newest vessels after a Mississippi civil rights pioneer. MPB's Lawayne Childrey reports.

During a ceremony at Jackson State University Friday, Navy Secretary, Ray Mabus named the organizations newest supply ship after one of Mississippi's most noted civil rights martyr's.

“The newest Navy ship the USNS Medgar Evers.”

Mabus says to his knowledge it is the first time the Navy has named a ship after a civil rights pioneer. That's why he says it was so important for him to get it right.

“This class of ship is named for visionaries, explorers, pioneers. And a lot of our ships are named for American Heroes. And I thought that Medgar Evers was a visionary a pioneer and an American hero.”

During the civil rights movement Evers organized non violent protest, voter registration drives and boycotts in Mississippi. He was killed at his Jackson home by an assassins bullet in 1963. His widower Myrlie Evers says the naming of the USNS Medgar Evers preserves her husband’s legacy.

“I really found myself being distressed at the end of last year when news reporters talked about the civil rights movement in conjunction with the election, as the movement starting in 19 and 64. And I kept saying to myself what about ‘63 and all of those things and people prior to that. I think it will make hopefully the men and women who serve be knowledgeable about Medgar, that period of time and have a since of pride.”

The nearly 700 foot long ship that will bare Evers name will deliver food, ammunition and other supplies to other ships at sea.
Susan Glisson, Director of the William Winter Institute For Racial Reconciliation calls it benefiting because of its humanitarian mission.

“The idea that it’s gonna bring our soldiers what they need to do their job. Which is exactly the kind of work that Medgar Evers did. To bring people what they needed to be citizens.”
Mabus says the USNS Medgar Evers will be constructed in San Diego and it should take about two years to complete. For MPB News, I'm Lawayne Childrey.