Editing Medgar Evers (section)

==Early life and education==
[[File:Medgar evers army.jpg|thumb|upright|Evers while he was serving in the U.S. Army]]

Medgar Wiley Evers was born on July 2, 1925, in [[Decatur, Mississippi]], the third of five children (including elder brother [[Charles Evers]]) of Jesse (Wright) and James Evers.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Have no fear: the Charles Evers story |last1=Evers |first1=Charles |last2=Szanton|first2=Andrew  |date=1997 |pages=5 |oclc=60191485}}</ref> The family included Jesse's two children from a previous marriage.<ref>[http://www.blackpast.org/aah/evers-james-charles-1922 "James Charles Evers"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916142414/http://www.blackpast.org/aah/evers-james-charles-1922 |date=September 16, 2017 }}, ''Black Past''</ref><ref>{{cite web | url =http://mememorial.org/medgar-w-evers-civil-rights-activist/ | title =Medgar W. Evers – Civil Rights Activist | publisher =memorial.org | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20130611071827/http://mememorial.org/medgar-w-evers-civil-rights-activist/ | archive-date =June 11, 2013 }}</ref> The Evers family owned a small farm and James also worked at a sawmill.<ref name="Williams, Reggie 2005">{{cite news|first=Reggie|last=Williams|title=Remembering Medgar|newspaper=Afro King – American Red Star|page=A1|date=July 2, 2005}}</ref>  Evers and his siblings walked {{convert|12|mi|km|abbr=off|sp=us}} a day to attend [[Racial segregation in the United States|racially segregated]] schools; eventually Medgar earned his high school diploma.<ref name="My Hero">{{cite web |url=https://myhero.com/Evers_NW |url-status=live |author=Sina |title=Freedom Hero: Medgar Wiley Evers |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105145647/http://www.myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=Evers_NW |archivedate=January 5, 2010 |work=The My Hero Project |date=2005 |access-date=October 25, 2009 }}</ref>

In 1943, Evers enlisted in the [[United States Army]] at the age of 17; he was prompted to do so by the [[Racism in the United States|racism]] he experienced at home and Charles' prior enlistment in the Army. Evers served in the [[657th Port Company]], a [[Racial segregation in the United States Armed Forces|segregated unit]] of the Army's [[Transportation Corps]], participating in the [[Normandy landings]] on June 1944. In France, Evers' unit was part of the [[Red Ball Express]], which delivered supplies to Allied troops fighting on the frontlines. During his time in the Army, Evers was angered by the segregation and mistreatment endured by African-American troops. Witnessing Black soldiers of the [[French Liberation Army|Free French Forces]] being treated as the equals of white troops, he once told Charles that "When we get out of the Army, we’re going to straighten this thing out!" 

In 1946, Evers was discharged from the Army at the rank of [[technician fifth grade]], having earned the [[Good Conduct Medal (United States)|Good Conduct Medal]], [[European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal]], and [[World War II Victory Medal]].<ref>{{cite book|first1=Myrlie|last1=Evers-Williams|first2=Manning|last2=Marable|title=The Autobiography of Medgar Evers: A Hero's Life and Legacy Revealed Through His Writings, Letters and Speeches|date=2005|publisher=[[Basic Books|Basic Civitas Books]]|location=New York City|isbn=0-465-02177-8|url=https://archive.org/details/autobiographyofm00ever}}</ref> After returning to Decatur, Evers enrolled at the [[Historically black colleges and universities|historically black]] [[Alcorn State University|Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College]] in 1948, majoring in business administration.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite book|last1=Arroyo|first1=Elizabeth|chapter=Medgar Evers|title=Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History|editor-first=Colin A.|editor-last=Palmer|publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan]]|location=London, England|date=2006|page=738|edition=2nd|isbn=978-0028658162}}</ref><ref name="W.E.B. Du Bois Institute">{{cite web|url=http://dubois.fas.harvard.edu/evers-medgar-2-july-1925-12-june-1963-civil-rights-activist-was|title=Evers, Medgar (2 July 1925 – 12 June 1963), Civil Rights Activist, Was ...|publisher=[[Harvard University]]|location=Cambridge, Massachusetts|access-date=June 24, 2013|archive-date=October 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005082232/http://dubois.fas.harvard.edu/evers-medgar-2-july-1925-12-june-1963-civil-rights-activist-was|url-status=dead}}</ref> He also competed on the debate, football, and track teams, sang in the choir, and was elected as junior class president.<ref>{{cite web|first=John B.|last=Padgett|url=http://www.olemiss.edu/mwp/dir/evers_medgar/index.html|title=Medgar Evers|website=The Mississippi Writers Page|publisher=[[University of Mississippi]]|location=Olive Branch, Mississippi|date=2008|access-date=September 2, 2010|archive-date=October 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005015906/http://www.olemiss.edu/mwp/dir/evers_medgar/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Evers earned his [[Bachelor of Arts]] in 1952.<ref name="W.E.B. Du Bois Institute"/> On December 24, 1951, Evers married classmate [[Myrlie Evers-Williams|Myrlie Beasley]].<ref>{{cite web |url =http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:S.CON.RES.51: |title =Commending Medgar Wiley Evers and his widow, Myrlie Evers-Williams for their lives and accomplishments, designating a Medgar Evers National Week of Remembrance, and for other purposes (Introduced in Senate – IS) |author =[[THOMAS]], ''[[United States Library of Congress]]'' |publisher =thomas.loc.gov |date =June 9, 2003 |access-date =June 24, 2013 |archive-date =July 4, 2016 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160704125606/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:S.CON.RES.51: |url-status =live }}</ref> Together they had three children: Darrell Kenyatta, Reena Denise, and James Van Dyke Evers.<ref>{{Citation|title=Eyes on the Prize; Interview with Darrell Evers|url=http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-151-cv4bn9xv7m|language=en|access-date=February 10, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Dustin|last=Cardon|url=http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2013/jan/21/myrlie-evers-williams/|title=Myrlie Evers-Williams|newspaper=[[Jackson Free Press]]|publisher=[[Association of Alternative Newsweeklies]]|location=Jackson, Mississippi|date=January 21, 2013|access-date=June 24, 2013|archive-date=September 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916141106/http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2013/jan/21/myrlie-evers-williams/|url-status=live}}</ref>