Flickr pic of Medgar Evers by monashaw2003 The first time I heard about Medgar Evers: Mississippi Martyr was in March at the 20th Oxford Conference for the Book at The University of Mississippi (see photos below). Special thanks to Ole Miss Associate Professor and Graduate Program Coordinator Dr. Kathleen Wickham for assistance during the conference.
The book’s author Dr. Michael Williams, is professor of History and Director of the African American Studies Program at the University of Texas at El Paso. He was among several panelists speaking about Recent Civil Rights Movement Books. Dr. Williams’ insights about Medgar Evers provided new information about the slain NAACP field secretary and that’s how I came to call him this week for a telephone interview to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Evers’ assassination.
As you will hear in the excerpts below, Williams is passionate about the book and its impact, which extends far beyond Mississippi. Ultimately, he desires more people will be touched and become active in causes that we care about it, a fitting and lasting tribute to Evers -- the ultimate "servant leader."
 Dr. Michael Williams, assistant professor of history and African American studies, Mississippi State Univ. |
 Enjoying a moment with Vanderbilt Writer-in-Residence and "The Wind Done Gone" author Alice Randall at The Oxford Conference for the Book © 2013 Harvest Reapers Communications. All Rights Reserved. |  Catching up with (left) Ted Ownby, director, Center for the Study of Southern Culture at Ole Miss and Richard Howorth, founder of Square Books in Oxford, Miss. |
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