Editing Charles Evers (section)

===Mayor of Fayette===
In May 1969, Evers ran for the office of Mayor of Fayette and defeated white incumbent R. J. Allen, 386 votes to 255.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=181}} This made him the first black mayor of a biracial Mississippi town (unlike the all-black Mound Bayou{{efn|The town of [[Mound Bayou, Mississippi|Mound Bayou]] had been incorporated in 1898 as a Negro-only municipality and had had black mayors and council members throughout the 20th century.<ref>"Republicans gain in statewide municipal elections", ''Delta Democrat-Times'' (Greenville MS), June 4, 1969, p. 1</ref>}}) since [[Reconstruction era of the United States|Reconstruction]].{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=175}} Evers' election as mayor had great symbolic significance statewide and attracted national attention. The NAACP named Evers their 1969 Man of the Year.<ref name="CRP">{{cite web|url=http://mscivilrightsproject.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=360:charles-evers&Itemid=59|title=Charles Evers|publisher=CivilRightsProject.com|access-date=January 14, 2016}}</ref> Evers popularized the slogan, "Hands that picked cotton can now pick the mayor."<ref name="CRP"/> The local white community was bitter about his victory, but he became intensively popular among Mississippi's blacks.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=182}} To celebrate his victory, he hosted an inaugural ball in [[Natchez, Mississippi|Natchez]], which was widely attended by black Mississippians, reporters from around the country, and prominent national liberals including [[Ramsey Clark]], [[Ted Sorensen]], [[Whitney Young]], [[Julian Bond]], [[Shirley MacLaine]], and [[Paul O'Dwyer]].{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|pp=175, 182}} The white-dominated school board refused to let Evers swear-in on property under their jurisdiction, so he took his oath of office in a parking lot.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=185}}

Evers appointed a black police force and several black staff members.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|pp=183, 185}} He also benefitted from an influx of young, white liberal volunteers who wanted to assist a civil rights leader. Many ended up leaving after growing disillusioned with Evers' pursuit of personal financial success and domineering leadership style.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=183}} Evers sought to make Fayette an upstanding community and a symbolic refuge for black people. Repulsed by the behavior of poor blacks in the town, he ordered the police force to enforce a 25-mile per hour speed limit on local roads, banned cursing in public, and cracked down on [[truancy]]. He also prohibited the carrying of firearms in town but kept a gun on himself. He quickly responded to concerns from poor blacks while making white businessmen wait outside of his office.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|pp=183, 185}} Rhetorically, he would vacillate between messages of racial conciliation and statements of hostility.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=186}}

Fayette's white population remained bitter about Evers' victory. Many avoided the city hall where they used to socialize and ''The Fayette Chronicle'' regularly criticized him.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=185}} He argued with the county board of supervisors over his plan to erect busts of his brother, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Kennedys on the courthouse square.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=186}} He told the press, "They're cooperating because they haven't blown my head off. This is Mississippi."{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=185}} In September 1969, a Klansman drove into Fayette with a collection of weapons, intending to assassinate Evers. A white resident tipped off the mayor and the Klansman was arrested. The Klansman defended his motives by saying, "I am a Mississippi white man".{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=184}}

Evers' moralistic style began to create discontent; in early 1970, most of Fayette's police department resigned, saying the mayor had treated them "like dogs".{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=190}} Evers complained that local blacks were "jealous" of him.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=190}} As the judge in the municipal court, he personally issued fines for infractions such as cursing in public. He regularly ignored the input of the town board of aldermen, and town employee Charles Ramberg reported that he said he would fire municipal workers who would not vote for him.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|pp=190–191}} During Evers' tenure, Fayette benefitted from several federal grants, and [[ITT Inc.]] built an assembly plant in the town, but the region's economy largely remained depressed. By 1981, Jefferson County had the highest unemployment rate in the state.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=191}}

Whites' perception that Evers was venal and self-interested persisted and began to spread among the black community. This problem ballooned when in 1974 the [[Internal Revenue Service]] arranged for him to be indicted for tax evasion by failing to report $156,000 in income he garnered in the late 1960s. Prosecutors further accused him of depositing town funds in a personal bank account.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|pp=191–192}} His attorney told the court that Evers had indeed concealed the income, but argued that the charge was invalid since this had been done before the late 1960s, as the indictment specified. The case resulted in a [[mistrial]], but Evers' reputation permanently suffered.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=192}} In the late 1970s he used a $5,300 federal grant to renovate a building he owned which he leased to a federal day care program, and used some of the employees for personal business.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|pp=191–192}}

Evers served many terms as mayor of Fayette.<ref name=biography/> Admired by some, he alienated others with his inflexible stands on various issues. Evers did not like to share or delegate power. Evers lost the Democratic primary for mayor in 1981 to [[Kennie Middleton]]. Four years later, Evers defeated Middleton in the primaries and won back the office of mayor. In 1989, Evers lost the nomination once again to political rival Kennie Middleton.<ref name=Lost>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/05/us/evers-is-defeated-in-fifth-term-bid.html|title=Evers Is Defeated In Fifth-Term Bid|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 5, 1989|access-date=January 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307085956/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/05/us/evers-is-defeated-in-fifth-term-bid.html|archive-date=March 7, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In his response to the defeat, Evers accepted, said he was tired, and that: "Twenty years is enough. I'm tired of being out front. Let someone else be out front."<ref name=Lost/>