Remembering our Mississippi Heroes

Two of the most influential figures in the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement were born on the same day only three years apart. Aaron Henry entered the world on July 2, 1922, in Dublin, Mississippi; his friend Medgar Evers was born July 2, 1925, in Decatur, Mississippi. Both men were Army veterans and college graduates. Both were members of the NAACP and fought for the civil rights of African-American citizens in Mississippi, whom the white population segregated, disenfranchised, terrorized, and murdered. Evers was assassinated in his driveway when he was only 37. Henry became a long-time member of the Mississippi House of Representatives before passing in 1997.

To learn more about Medgar Evers, check out:

• For Us, the Living
  Myrlie B. Evers
• The Autobiography of Medgar Evers: A Hero's Life and Legacy Revealed Through His Writings, Letters, and Speeches
  edited by Myrlie Evers-Williams and Manning Marable
• Medgar Evers: Mississippi Martyr
  Michael Vinson Williams
• Never Too Late: A Prosecutor's Story of Justice in the Medgar Evers Case
  Bobby DeLaughter
• Medgar Evers
  Mississippi Encyclopedia
• Medgar Evers
  Mississippi History Now

To learn more about Aaron Henry, check out:

• Aaron Henry of Mississippi: Inside Agitator
  Minion K.C. Morrison
• Aaron Henry: the Fire Ever Burning
  Aaron Henry
• Aaron Henry
  Mississippi Encyclopedia
• Aaron Henry
  Mississippi History Now

If you're in Mississippi, consider a field trip to:

• The Medgar Evers Home Museum
• The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum

Both of these Mississippi heroes and icons deserve our attention and our respect. Join us in honoring their memory and their accomplishments. Happy birthday, Mr. Evers and Representative Henry!