NAACP KCMO » Education https://naacpkcmo.org The Kansas City Missouri Branch of the NAACP Mon, 03 Mar 2014 18:28:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.12 Medgar Evers and the Early Fight for Civil Rights in Mississippi: Information Sheet https://naacpkcmo.org/education/medgar-evers-and-the-early-fight-for-civil-rights-in-mississippi-information-sheet/ https://naacpkcmo.org/education/medgar-evers-and-the-early-fight-for-civil-rights-in-mississippi-information-sheet/#comments Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:23:46 +0000 https://naacpkcmo.org/?p=292 Continue reading →]]>  

image002National Association For The Advancement of Colored People
Kansas City, Missouri Branch
1601 East 18th Street, Suite 212 ? Kansas City, Missouri 64108 ? (816) 421-1191 ? Fax (816) 421-4939
Email: naacpkcmo@sbcglobal.net      Website: naacpkcmo.org

Medgar Evers and the Early Fight for Civil Rights in Mississippi:

Information Sheet

Medgar Wiley Evers is a genuine American hero.  As Field Secretary for the NAACP in Mississippi, he recruited members and organized branches, was an early leader in the fight for voting rights, and aimed at desegregating education, as well as the town square. He worked tirelessly, knowing that anyone who spoke out for freedom was a likely target in one of the most vicious and violent racist states.

Medgar Wiley Evers lives on in the hearts of NAACP members, in the minds of all freedom and justice loving peoples, and in the many monuments that bear his name. On June 28, 1992 a life-size bronze statue of Evers was unveiled at Medgar Evers Public Library in Jackson, Mississippi.  In that city, a post office, and an international airport are named after him.  There is a Medgar Evers College Preparatory School in Brooklyn, and a Medgar Evers Fine and Performing Arts Elementary School in Chicago.

 Medgar Evers was born on July 2, 1925 in Decatur, Mississippi.  His father worked in a saw mill and farmed, and his mother took in laundry and ironing.  He lied about his age to get into the army and served in World War II in a segregated field battalion in England and France.  After the war, he attended Alcorn College (now Alcorn State University), where he edited the student newspaper for two years and was entered into the Who’s Who in American Colleges.  He married Myrlie Beasley from Vicksburg in 1951.

 In 1952, while selling insurance to the poorest and most destitute African Americans in the delta region of Mississippi, Evers became a founding member of the Regional Council of Negro Leadership.  In the fall of 1953, he decided to apply to the University of Mississippi Law School—a whites-only institution at that time–and he submitted his application in January 1954. 

After being denied admission, he filed suit with the assistance of the NAACP, and future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall was his attorney.

 In December 1954, at the age of 29, Medgar Evers was hired as Field Secretary of the NAACP.  Before taking the job, he and Myrlie discussed it and she agreed on the proviso that “we came as a package.”  The two of them opened the NAACP office in Jackson.

 After the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Topeka Board of Education, NAACP Legal Defense Fund Director Thurgood Marshall called for a new round of litigation aimed at destroying Jim Crow segregation.  In Mississippi, the white power structure aimed to oppose any attempts at desegregation.  And on September 9, 1954 in Walthall County, 30 members of the local NAACP were called before a grand jury simply because they were advocating school desegregation.

 A string of murders followed in Mississippi in 1955. Rev. George Lee, head of the NAACP branch in Belzoni was murdered on May 7, after he told authorities he would not stop trying to register voters. On August 13, Lamar Smith, 63 years old and a World War II veteran, was shot in full public view of many people in Brookhaven, because he too was urging people to vote.  And on August 28, 14-year old Emmett Till was beaten to death. In order to investigate Till’s murder, Medgar Evers “dressed like a field hand,” in order to not raise suspicions and solicited potential witnesses, according to The Autobiography of Medgar Evers: A Hero’s Life and Legacy Revisited Through His Writings, Letters, and Speeches, by Myrlie Evers-Williams and Manning Marable.  No one was ever convicted for any of these crimes.

 As Field Secretary, Medgar Evers traveled the state, recruiting members to the NAACP, building branches, and fighting for voter registration.  In a number of instances, he organized campaigns to pay the poll tax, so that one less hurdle stood in the way of voter registration. 

 At a Men’s Day program at a church in Jackson in 1962, he said: “As Negro Americans living in Mississippi today, it is imperative that we put forth extra effort to accomplish the desired goals of freedom for all…We must do our best.  It is necessary that we become a part of this worldwide struggle for human dignity …Some of the signs that are most encouraging are the demonstrations in Africa, which are bringing about … independence…” 

 Mass demonstrations by students and young people against Jim Crow segregation broke out again in Jackson in early 1963.  When the Mayor went on television to call for an end to the protests, Medgar Evers appealed to the FCC under the “equal time” provision and won 17 minutes to publicly make the case for integration and equal rights—a first in Mississippi history.  On May 28, while speaking at a local AME church, he called for a “massive offensive against segregation.” And on June 1, 1963 Medgar and NAACP national executive secretary Roy Wilkins were arrested on a picket line at a Woolworth’s store in Jackson.

 Just 11 days later, Medgar Evers was assassinated by a white supremacist coward, who hid in bushes across the street and shot the valiant NAACP leader on the doorstep of his home.  The killer eluded conviction until 1994, when he was finally convicted and sent to prison for life. 

Medgar Wiley Evers is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.  After his death, his wife, Myrlie, moved to California with their three children and eventually remarried.  She became national chair of the NAACP board of directors  in 1995, and helped save it from suffocating debt. She has just recently moved back to Mississippi, and is participating in nationwide events to honor her martyred husband.

medger

 NAACP President Roy Wilkins (Left) and Medgar Evers (Center) in 1963

______________________________________________________________

The Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission was a state-financed agency founded in 1956 with the Governor as its nominal head.  It wrapped itself in the language of “states’ rights,” but its purpose was to oppose the civil rights movement in that state, and to protect Jim Crow segregation and the monopoly white people had over voting rights.  It acted as an “intelligence” agency: hiring investigators, infiltrating civil rights organizations, and collecting personal information on NAACP members and other civil rights advocates.

The Commission kept tabs on Medgar Evers and when Byron de la Beckwith went to trial in 1964 for his murder, the state-funded Sovereignty Commission assisted the killer’s lawyers. Further, two Jackson policemen lied under oath during that trial, providing Beckwith with a false alibi until it came apart in 1994.

]]> https://naacpkcmo.org/education/medgar-evers-and-the-early-fight-for-civil-rights-in-mississippi-information-sheet/feed/ 0 Candidate forum videos on July 19th https://naacpkcmo.org/education/candidate-forum-videos/ https://naacpkcmo.org/education/candidate-forum-videos/#comments Mon, 23 Jul 2012 03:28:40 +0000 https://naacpkcmo.org/?p=164 Continue reading →]]>

On July 19th at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center, the Kansas City Missouri branch of the NAACP held a candidates forum.  The event ran from 6 p.m to 9 p.m. and included candidates for The Missouri House & Senate and the Jackson County Sheriff election. The candidates were allowed a one minute introduction and one minute for final remarks. Answers to the questions were limited to two minutes. The questions were ask by a panel of moderators and the questions came from both the NAACP KCMO Political Action Committee and the audience. Questions from the audience were screened and delivered by the moderators.

The workers at the event were.

Anita L. Russell President NAACP KCMO Branch
Eugene Stanifer Jr. NAACP KCMO PAC Chairman (reception and registration)
Michael N. Downing NAACP KCMO PAC Interim Chairman (session introductions)
Annmarie Jackson (reception and registration)
Rosa James (timekeeper)
MaryAnn Greyson (visual aids)
Henry E. Lyons President NAACP Olathe Branch (moderator session 1)
Ronald Finley Esq.(moderator session 1 & 2)
Dr. Joyce Downing (moderator session 2)
Arimeta DuPree Esq. (moderator session 2)

 

The first session  covered the Jackson County Sheriff candidates and the candidates for the Missouri State 7th District. Present from left to right were Jason Holsman for State Senate, Dwon Littlejohn and Randy Poletis for Sheriff.

The second session covered the Missouri State House candidates. Present from left to right were Brandon Ellington for District 22;  Erik K. Stafford, Randy D. Dunn and Derron L. Black for District  23;  Sarah Gillooly, Judy Morgan and Jonathan Sternberg for District 24; and Tom McDonald for District 28.

]]> https://naacpkcmo.org/education/candidate-forum-videos/feed/ 0 NAACP Kansas City Missouri School District candidate forum https://naacpkcmo.org/education/naacp-kansas-city-missouri-school-district-candidate-forum/ https://naacpkcmo.org/education/naacp-kansas-city-missouri-school-district-candidate-forum/#comments Sun, 25 Mar 2012 01:31:08 +0000 https://naacpkcmo.org/?p=138 Continue reading →]]> The March 20th 2012 NAACP Kansas City Mo. Branch forum for candidates running for  positions on the Kansas City Mo. School Board. The moderators (from left to right) are Anthony White, Alice Flowers and Patricia Hardimon. The timekeeper is Rosa James. Question collection was done by Annmarie Jackson and Joyce Downing. The opening was by the Interim-Chairperson of the NAACP KCMO political action committee, Michael N. Downing. Mr. Downing is filling in for the Chairman of the Political Action Committee, Eugene Standifer, who is expected to return from rehab soon.  Also appearing is the President of the NAACP KCMO, Anita Russell. 


The candidates from left to right are Sam Mann, Curtis Rogers, H. Lon Swearingen, Candace Koba, Nia Webster, Duane Kelly, and Lyne’t C. Smith. Demonte Rochester arrived a little late and was seated on the far left.

 This video can be viewed in full screen high definition. Just select 720 for resolution at the bottom right of the video box by clicking on the gear icon (which sometimes only appears after the video is playing) and then selecting full screen by clicking on the icon on the far right, three places from the gear icon. Warning, a high speed Internet connection is needed for satisfactory results, due to the large amount of data being sent. Even with a DSL connection, it may be preferable to pause the video for a few minutes before playing to let enough data buffer to avoid pauses in the playback.

]]> https://naacpkcmo.org/education/naacp-kansas-city-missouri-school-district-candidate-forum/feed/ 0 NAACP Raytown School District candidate forum https://naacpkcmo.org/education/naacp-raytown-school-district-candidate-forum/ https://naacpkcmo.org/education/naacp-raytown-school-district-candidate-forum/#comments Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:44:30 +0000 https://naacpkcmo.org/?p=128 Continue reading →]]> The NAACP Political Action Committee would like to thank Raytown Christian Church and Rev. Dawn Weaks for again hosting our school board forum for a second year in a row.  The forum went well, with the exception of my camera work.  Microphone rumble resulted in the presentation of Patricia Hardimon’s opening of the forum to be displayed as scrolling text.

]]> https://naacpkcmo.org/education/naacp-raytown-school-district-candidate-forum/feed/ 0 Volunteers sought to support dropout recovery program https://naacpkcmo.org/education/122/ https://naacpkcmo.org/education/122/#comments Fri, 09 Mar 2012 05:34:03 +0000 https://naacpkcmo.org/?p=122 Continue reading →]]>

KANSAS CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Press Advisory – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Volunteers sought to support dropout recovery program

KANSAS CITY, MO. – As part of its march toward re-accreditation, the Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) is seeking volunteers during its Spring Break (March 12-16, 2012) to assist with contacting and recovering students that have dropped out of school.

Volunteers will help the KCPS staff team in different ways, from calling departed students, to conducting home visits, to reviewing enrollment and transfer data from surrounding school districts. The program will operate from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, with flexible scheduling available. The base of operations will be the Board of Education building, 1211 McGee St., Kansas City, Mo.

The dropout recovery effort is essential to regaining accreditation because it helps KCPS identify where dropout students have surfaced, which in turn directly impacts the KCPS dropout rate. In Missouri, a student is considered a dropout for their original school district if it is undetermined where they have continued their education. KCPS has a significant number of students whose new education location is unknown.

For additional information, volunteers may contact Samuel Johnson at (816) 699-8604 or email sjohnso4@kcpublicschools.org.

The Kansas City Public Schools is dedicated to graduating students that are college, career, and workforce ready. This mission is supported by innovative classroom instruction, engaging programs, highly-qualified employees, and an engaged and well-informed community. To learn more about the ways our community of schools supports students and the community-at-large, please visit www.kcpublicschools.org, KCMO School District on Facebook, or KCMOSchools on Twitter.

 For more information please contact Eileen Houston-Stewart, Chief Communications and Community Engagement Officer, (816) 379-0385 or Andre Riley, Manager of Public Relations, (816) 442-9337.

]]> https://naacpkcmo.org/education/122/feed/ 0 NAACP Hickman School District candidate forum https://naacpkcmo.org/education/naacp-hickman-school-district-candidate-forum/ https://naacpkcmo.org/education/naacp-hickman-school-district-candidate-forum/#comments Tue, 28 Feb 2012 01:26:13 +0000 https://naacpkcmo.org/?p=112 Continue reading →]]>

This video can be viewed in full screen high definition. Just select 720 for resolution at the bottom right of the video box by clicking on the gear icon (which sometimes only appears after the video is playing) and then selecting full screen by clicking on the icon on the far right, three places from the gear icon. Warning, a high speed Internet connection is needed for satisfactory results, due to the large amount of data being sent. Even with a DSL connection, it may be preferable to pause the video for a few minutes before playing to let enough data buffer to avoid pauses in the playback.

]]> https://naacpkcmo.org/education/naacp-hickman-school-district-candidate-forum/feed/ 0 A CALL TO ACTION EMPOWERMENT FORUM https://naacpkcmo.org/education/a-call-to-action-empowerment-forum/ https://naacpkcmo.org/education/a-call-to-action-empowerment-forum/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:12:43 +0000 https://naacpkcmo.org/?p=80 Continue reading →]]>
A CALL TO ACTION EMPOWERMENT FORUM
FOR
“PARENTS, TEACHERS, STAFF, AND COMMUNITY”

  On Wednesday, November 9, an informational forum will be hosted by the Parents’ District Advisory Council and the American Federation of Teachers. Parents, staff, community patrons and stakeholders will come together as a team to save our children’s right to receive a good education. The forum is scheduled from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Paseo Academy of the Arts, 4747 Flora, Kansas City, MO.

 The purpose of the forum is to address the existing unaccredited status of Kansas City Public Schools as it relates to student achievement and the roles and accountability of all concerned. The plan to be presented is better known as “Our Voice” and consists of three (3) steps to generate accountability through local control by parents, teachers, and the community electorate.

 A brief history of this dilemma includes how the Kansas City community deserted the KCMSD in 1969 when it refused to pass the School Levy tax increase. In 1985, a federal judge injected federal dollars into the system which at that time was his only alternative. A Desegregation Monitoring Team and integration followed in pursuit of so-called student achievement. In 1986, the community refused to pass a School Levy during three (3) elections, February 4, August 6, and November 4.

 Now, we stand at the crossroads to recoup our children from years of outside forces preventing teaching staffs to help children learn without being guinea pigs of the testing syndrome. We further are willing to protect our accountability to an elected school board and first-class Kansas City Public Schools that remain economically sound as this administration has a proven track record of a balanced budget and a plan to move forward with an agenda for its children.

Contacts: Andrea Flinders, (816) 756-1818, Fred Hudgins, (816) 337-2490

]]> https://naacpkcmo.org/education/a-call-to-action-empowerment-forum/feed/ 0 NAACP VOTES TO RETAIN ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD https://naacpkcmo.org/education/naacp-votes-to-retain-elected-school-board/ https://naacpkcmo.org/education/naacp-votes-to-retain-elected-school-board/#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:26:24 +0000 https://naacpkcmo.org/?p=72 Continue reading →]]>      On Tuesday, November 1, The Kansas City, Missouri branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) voted unanimously for the retention of the current board configuration of the Kansas City, Missouri School District.  The organization represents a membership of 1,000-plus members.

      Following a lively discussion on the probability of the elected board to be dismantled during its unaccredited status, the organization felt it should defend parents, community, and stakeholders from disenfranchisement of their voices and ability to advocate during decision-making processes by the board.

      Additionally, an elected board allows its citizens to retain public ownership of the educational system and further result in accountability of elected officials to their constituents.The democratic process for officials elected by one vote one person empowers the community to demand and take its rightful place in the education of children.

Contact:  Rosa James  (816) 923-2983

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