Myrlie Evers-Williams

sojournproject — Mon, 25 May 2009 14:40:54 +0000

Civil rights leader Myrlie Evers-Williams is perhaps best remembered as the widow of Medgar Evers, the Mississippi state field secretary for the NAACP who in 1963 was gunned down in the driveway of his home in Jackson. In the years since the assassination and two hung juries that left the accused gunman, white supremacist Byron De la Beckwith, a free man, Mrs. Evers has continued to wage a lonely war to keep her husband’s memory and dreams alive and to bring his killer to justice. Her diligence eventually paid off when Beckwith was brought to trial for a third time and finally, in 1994, found guilty of the murder of Medgar Evers, more than 30 years after the crime.

Ms. Evers-Williams is a phenomenal woman of great strength and courage. Her dedication to civil rights and equality is exemplified by her activist role, linking together business, government, and social issues to further human rights and equality. On February 18, 1995, she was elected to the position of Chairman of the National Board of Directors of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). With the support of a strong member base of the NAACP, she is credited with spearheading the operations that restored the Association to its original status as the premier civil rights organization.

Evers-Williams says that she “greets today and the future with open arms.” This credo has carried her through years of struggle and success. Her children and six grandchildren remain her strongest supporters in her continued fight to secure equal rights for all people, and to preserve those rights for future generations.

We feel both proud and grateful to have someone such as Ms. Evers-Williams practicing Sojourn Living and fighting for equal rights for all.

Taking history into the future

sojournproject — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:10:18 +0000

Sojourn: A temporary stay

Function: noun

Sojourn to the Past: An interactive journey through the American South to many significant sites where civil rights history was made, personal meetings with veterans of the Civil Rights Movement and advocates for human rights inspired by the invaluable lessons of hope, forgiveness, and civic responsibility, and understanding for the need of compassion, courage, and non-violence.

Function: verb

Welcome to the Sojourn Project, a program designed to inspire high school students across America to become engaged citizens and community leaders who promote social justice through non-violence. Through in-class activities, interactive trips to historic locations, and subsequent real-life applications for each learning experience, the Sojourn Project is able to initiate social justice that has sustainable influence on future generations.Here, find updates from civil rights sojourners, information about civil rights figures and landmarks, and other resources to help foster ongoing social justice through education.

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Sojourn to the Past » nonviolence

Myrlie Evers-Williams

Taking history into the future