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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

Pam Greer I would simply say, thank you.

Harrell Broome What do you think of Jackson now?

Cody Walker What can I do to help, sir?

Jo Ann Crooks Hall May we live up to your sacrifice …

Lena Jones Thank you. Although there is still much to be done, you set many things in motion that (have now) been done. And it seems that we know more about you now than we did while you were working for the change that has come and is coming. My one regret is that unlike other nationally renown civil-rights martyrs is that I don’t hear memorable speeches in your own voice, so I often think of your as the “Quiet Leader”–is this true or will your words be documented more in the years ahead?

Marie Jenkins Thank you, and are you disappointed?

Clarence Jackson Thank you.

Tanya Francis When did you know that something had to be done and that you had to be actively involved in doing it?

Demi Green Thank you for your courage, your voice, your selflessness. Despite the threats and knowing that you probably wouldn’t get to see the fruits of your labor fully realized in your lifetime, you still pressed on. For ALL of us. Thank you.

Laurie Bertram Roberts Thank you! I don’t think people really understand what he gave up personally while alive to fight for equality or all the people he helped. He was known to drive out to peoples houses and help them when they were threatened with violence. True activists work for the cause not the glory–Medgar Evers was such a person.

Jehrod Alain Besides giving thanks, I would ask Mr. Evers if he feels his sacrifice was worth it, considering how disengaged we are today. And by we, I’m not referring solely to the black and brown people he was fighting for, but to all Americans.

How can we not ask tough questions and demand truthful responses from those who represent us? How can we not seek to do what we can do to make our communities better, safer and cleaner? We owe that much to Medgar.

Laurie Bertram Roberts I understand that response, I do. But black political engagement is starting to pick up. It is because of his sacrifice and others that we can have the right to engage, or not.

I think citizens should be engaged, but I also think we should recognize that we have to repair the damage of the systematic work that has been done to make sure certain segments of the populations aren’t engaged. It isn’t a accident that poor, working class people across the board and people of color are disengaged.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.