Saturday Matinee: The United States Civil Rights Trail

Summary

History Daily: Saturday Matinee – The United States Civil Rights Trail

Air Date: April 4, 2026
Host: Lindsay Graham
Featured Guests: Myrlie Evers Williams, Rena Evers Everett
Produced By: Mississippi Freedom Trail Podcast / Civil Rights Trail

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Episode Overview

This powerful episode takes listeners on an intimate journey through the life and legacy of civil rights activist Medgar Evers, told through the voices of his widow, Myrlie Evers Williams, and their daughter, Rena Evers Everett. Framed by personal reminiscences, the episode explores the couple's early courtship, their courageous work in the Deep South at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement, the trauma of Medgar Evers' assassination, and the enduring impact on their family and on American history. The discussion highlights the significance of civil rights landmarks and encourages listeners to engage with history through travel along the United States Civil Rights Trail.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Personal Becomes Political: Myrlie & Medgar’s Early Years

(07:02 – 12:25)

• Meeting at Alcorn State:
  Myrlie recounts meeting Medgar during her freshman year at Alcorn State University, blending humorous and tender stories about their first encounter and early courtship.

  • Notable Moment: Rena recalls her mother recounting how she first met Medgar on campus and her family’s warning:

    “Don’t get involved with these servicemen or veterans.”
    (08:44 – 10:59)

• Marriage and Early Partnership:
  The couple married on Christmas Eve, 1951. Myrlie was 18, Medgar 26. Four years later, Medgar became the NAACP’s first field secretary in Mississippi, investigating cases like Emmett Till’s murder and working for school integration.

• Professional and Private Life:
  Myrlie describes the professionalism in the NAACP office—even as a married couple, they maintained respect and boundaries at work:

  • “There was no chance, no time for romance. It was work. And he was very strict. Even after we married, I was Mrs. Evers. Medgar believed in no mixing, which I think was very smart.”
    (16:35)

2. The Civil Rights Struggle Intensifies

(12:25 – 19:24)

• Danger and Sacrifice:
  Myrlie and Medgar faced daily threats—tampered cars, constant surveillance. Despite fear and hardship, they relied on each other for strength.
  • Memorable Quote:

    “You can get very angry working with each other. But when you have a gun outside at your door, someone’s tampered with your car—blew up when you got in it—you can’t take any chances... I have never in my life loved so hard.”
    (18:13)

3. Assassination and Aftermath

(19:24 – 23:48)

• Medgar’s Murder:
  A vivid newsreel-style narration recounts Evers’ assassination at home in Jackson, Mississippi, while his family was inside.

  • “Fifteen minutes past midnight, Evers got out of his car... a sniper fired a single shot... He died within an hour at a Jackson hospital.”
    (19:24)

• Immediate Grief and Family Trauma:
  Myrlie describes the crushing weight of making decisions alone for her three young children, her uncertainty, and resilience.

  • Quote:

    “I had to make decisions not only for Medgar and his health, but my children, their lives, and mine. I’d never had anything like that to deal with, and it rested on my shoulders. How can I be sure I’m right? The way to know is to try.”
    (21:11)

• A Daughter’s Perspective:
  Rena movingly recalls her mother’s grief:

  • “Mom couldn’t stand looking at us because it hurt too hot and continual crying. And so one day I snuck into the room... I told mama, ‘Mama, don’t cry. I’ll take care of you.’"
    (22:38)

4. Myrlie’s Enduring Legacy

(29:39 – 32:06)

• Resilience and Renewal:
  After relocating to California, Myrlie earned a sociology degree, became a public leader, and in the ’90s, chaired the NAACP, restoring its reputation and helping to secure the conviction of her husband's killer.

• Generational Strength:
  Rena reflects on the values instilled by her parents, emphasizing their focus on perseverance and uplifting others:

  • “A large part of that teaching has not been brought all the way forward into this generation. We need to get back to that.”
    (30:19)

5. Public Service and Reflection

(32:06 – 37:26)

• National Recognition:
  Myrlie’s advocacy culminated in delivering the invocation at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013—a symbol of progress and hope.

  • Excerpt from invocation:

    “We are here to ask blessings upon our armed forces... the opportunity to become whatever our mankind, womankind, allows us to be. This is the promise of America.”
    (32:16)

• Family and Purpose:
  Rena shares that her mother’s focus has always been on honoring Medgar’s legacy, ensuring that the story and sacrifices of many in the movement are remembered as templates for contemporary struggles.

• Peace and Healing:
  The episode closes with a mother and daughter’s exchange on searching for peace after trauma:

  • “Stop chasing peace. Just be in the peaceful moment.”
    (36:18 – 37:26)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On facing life after Medgar’s death:

  “It was a nightmare, an absolute nightmare... He left our children all for the love of freedom.”
  (Myrlie Evers Williams, 19:50)

• A child’s reassurance:

  “Mama, don’t cry. I’ll take care of you.”
  (Rena Evers Everett, 22:38)

• On legacy:

  “But you also realize that there is so much out there still isn’t together. Do you wonder when you wonder, oh and you don’t know. And those who don’t understand and who don’t care, you want to just get them up by the bucket, put them in a vault. So you stay there until you learn what we’ve been through.”
  (Myrlie Evers Williams, 23:48)

• On generational impact:

  “It’s a generational trauma. People deal with trauma in different ways… work around it for the betterment of other people, not themselves, necessarily.”
  (Rena Evers Everett, 28:32)

---

Resources & Calls to Action

• Explore the Civil Rights Trail:

  • Visit key historic sites such as the Lorraine Motel, the Evers’ home, and many more across the South.
  • Plan a journey: civilrightstrail.com, visitmississippi.org, visitjackson.com.

• Listen to related episodes:

  • Mississippi Freedom Trail Podcast, Season 2, “All Eyes on Mississippi.”

---

Conclusion

This episode is a deeply personal and moving tribute to the courage, love, and resilience of the Evers family. Through recollections, laughter, and grief, Myrlie Evers Williams and Rena Evers Everett not only honor the legacy of Medgar Evers but also illuminate the ongoing struggles and triumphs on the road to justice. Their story is a living testament to the triumph of hope and dignity over hatred—and a reminder to both remember and walk the trail of civil rights history ourselves.

---

For further exploration, visit the show notes or civilrightstrail.com to plan your own journey through American civil rights history.

Transcript

[Safeway/Albertsons Advertiser]

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[Lindsay Graham]

Hey there, Lindsay Graham here. Before we start the show, I'd like to get your input on a thing I'm thinking of doing. I know it's just the beginning of April, but I've been thinking lately about Christmas. This is by far my family's favorite season, and I'm pretty sure my wife thinks that there are only two holidays Christmas and all the rest. So I was toying with doing something very special this year. I a 10 day small group tour of the Old World European Christmas markets. I've been putting together an itinerary to visit major historic sites, see the festive traditions and experience beautiful winter destinations including Strasbourg, Nuremberg, Munich, Alsace, Bavaria and Salzburg. And this is all going to be a surprise for my daughter, who is almost inexplicably obsessed with these Christmas markets and has always wanted to go. I'm going to make it happen. But it is a surprise. So if any one of you tells her and ruins it, I will put you on the naughty list list. But I am also making a nice list because we've got room for 20 people on this tour and I was wondering if you'd like to come with me. So if you're a history lover who also loves to travel and wants to see and learn about some of the most historic spots in France, Germany and Austria, let me know. This is something you might be interested in. Go to historydaily.com and click on the link in the Christmas Market section to see the full itinerary and join the waitlist for first access to tickets at a 10% early bird discount. That's historydaily.com to see all the details and join the wait list for tickets and a 10% discount. So come stomp around Europe with me, learn a little history and enjoy the Christmas cheer. Go to historydaily.com. I've been traveling a little more recently. I just got back from Des Moines, Iowa, where I had the honor of delivering the keynote address at the 14th annual Ag Leaders Award Dinner and that was a good time but wherever I go, for whatever reason, I try to fit in a little history tourism. While in Iowa, I visited the World Food Prize headquarters and learned quite a bit. And when I was in Boston recently, I of course stuffed in as much history as I could. Even here in Dallas, my hometown, I recently made a discovery that proved that there's always more to learn. There's just something about being in the place, seeing the real thing, feeling the aura of history where it happened. You can't get that from a book or even a podcast. So on today's Saturday matinee, we're bringing you an episode from the podcast put out by the Civil Rights Trail, an organization that spotlights locations across the American south and beyond that played an integral role in the civil rights movement. Some are inspiring, many are tragic, like the Lorraine Hotel where Martin Luther King Jr. Was shot, or 2332 Margaret W. Alexander Drive, Jackson, Mississippi where Medgar Evers was assassinated. And it's Evers story that we're telling today through the voices and recollections of his wife and daughter. I hope you enjoy While you're listening, be sure to search for and follow the United States Civil Rights Trail and then look at their website. To plan a road trip, we put a link in the show notes to make it easy for you. History Daily is sponsored by Shopify. Starting something new isn't just hard, it's terrifying. Believe me, I'm so accustomed to working alone in a small, windowless room that putting together my stage show scared me out of my mind. What if no one comes? But the first show went really well and it helped to have the support of my team. If you're thinking of doing something new and daring yourself, you'll need the support from your team too. And a partner like Shopify can make all the difference. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all e commerce in the US from household names like Heinz and Mattel to brands just getting started using Shopify, you can get the word out like you have a whole marketing team behind you. Easily create email and social media campaigns wherever your customers are scrolling or strolling. Best yet, Shopify is your commerce expert with world class expertise in everything from managing inventory to international shipping to processing returns and beyond. So it's time to take those scary what ifs into with Shopify today. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at shopify.comhistorydaily go to shopify.comhistorydaily that's shopify.comhistorydaily this week with digital coupons

[Safeway/Albertsons Advertiser]

at Safeway and Albertsons get beef rib roast for $7.97 per member price with minimum purchase of $50 or more in a single transaction. Exclusions apply. See Store for details and Broccoli, cauliflower or russet potatoes are 97 cents per pound. Member price limit 6 pounds plus selected sizes and varieties of Lucerne Butter Cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese are $1.97 each member price. Visit Safeway or Albertsons.com for more deals and ways to save.

[Podcast Narrator (Marlene Gordon)]

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[Safeway/Albertsons Advertiser]

part covered this week with digital coupons at Safeway and Albertsons get beef rib roast for $7.97 per pound member price with minimum purchase of $50 or more in a single trans action. Exclusions apply. See Store for details and Broccoli, cauliflower or russet potatoes are $0.97 per pound member price limit £6 plus selected sizes and varieties of Lucerne butter Cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese are $1.97 each. Member price. Visit safeway or albertsons.com for more deals and ways to save.

[Lindsay Graham]

As a warning, this episode includes descriptions of violent acts. Please be advised.

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

And there I had to make decisions not only for Medicare and his health, but my children. Three children and their lives and mine. I'd never had anything like that to deal with, and it rested on my shoulders. How can I be sure I'm right? The way to know is to try.

[Podcast Narrator (Marlene Gordon)]

Hello and welcome to a special episode of the Mississippi Freedom Trail Podcast. We sat down for a long interview with Myrlie Evers Williams and her daughter, Rena Evers Everett, at Murlie's home in Southern California. Murlie is 92 years old now, and in her exceptional life, she has been globally recognized as a civil rights activist, author, organizational leader and public speaker. In 1963, when she was just 30 years old, she was thrust into the international spotlight when her husband, Medgar Evers, was assassinated in the driveway of their home in Jackson, Mississippi. In this episode, you'll hear an intimate and very personal conversation between a mother and daughter as they talk to each other about their lives and tell their family's story. Myrlie speaks first about meeting Medgar in 1950 when she was a freshman at Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi.

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

And of course, there's a usual routine of the upperclassmen having the first look gaze at we freshmen girls and making their choice without really saying anything to us. They chose us in groups. I happen to have been in a group of girls with long hair. It was, as was known then, kinky, but it was long. And Kiki, my hair was to my waist.

[Rena Evers Everett]

Let me see if you remember what you told me.

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

Well, no, I don't remember what.

[Rena Evers Everett]

When? Cause I asked you a long time ago and you've said this before. When I first met Medgar was my very first day on All Corn's campus. It's your very first day and you all were in orientation on the yard and you heard it sounded like a cattle. Cattle was. Was running towards you because all Corn was agricultural and mechanic, right? So you turn, thinking you and the ladies, young ladies turned to thinking it was cattle coming up, but it was the football players coming up. And dad kind of circled you. And you were leaning up against this light pole. And dad came over and told you you might get electrocuted. And you. You looked at him and you flip your head so your hair would swing over like you were flippant. And dad was what, almost eight years older than you and experienced. And I'm sure he wasn't used to a young lady being flippant to him and showed like, you're not impressing me. But you also told me that you were a little scared because the last thing that Granny, your grandmother, my great grandmother, Auntie, your aunt and my great aunt said to you before you took the bus over or before they left you at Alcorn when they dropped you off, what was the last thing? Do you remember the last thing they said to you? Don't get involved with these servicemen or veterans. And what was that?

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

A veteran.

[Rena Evers Everett]

First day. First day. That's exactly what happened.

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

It was meant to be, wasn't it, honey?

[Rena Evers Everett]

I'm happy it happened. I'm here.

[Podcast Narrator (Marlene Gordon)]

Murley and Medgar got married in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on Christmas Eve in 1951, when she was 18 years old and he was 26. About four years later, Medgar was named the first field secretary for the NAACP in Mississippi, and the office was based in Jackson. He investigated the Emmett Till case and other unsolved murders of black people across the state. He helped secure the NAACP's legal team, headed by future U.S. supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall to force integration at the University of Mississippi in 1962. That action resulted in the enrollment of James Meredith, the university's first African American student. During this time, Murlie worked alongside Medgar, helping to run the office and provide logistical support for her husband and other civil rights workers at the time.

[Rena Evers Everett]

I have pictures of you being his secretary and the nameplates that say Mrs. Evers and then on his desk said Mr. Evers and you telling me the story that you two were always very professional. So talk about that. How was it on a daily basis at the office?

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

It was exciting because first of all, the officers knew setting up an office the size of the NACP was not easy. I had done office work before, but nothing of that size of responsibility because we worked mostly, almost every day. It was Los Angeles and New York, but it mostly had to do with the New York end, which was new to me because I'd just been a typist and that was big business with branches throughout the United States and I, who had only done typing and a whole international office to handle, which of course I caught on very soon, had a lot of pride in my work and Medgar was watching me very carefully and what I did is he was head of that office and we finally became a teenager History Daily is sponsored

[Lindsay Graham]

by Shopify Starting something new isn't just hard, it's terrifying. Believe me, I'm so accustomed to working alone in a small windowless room that putting together my stage show scared me out of my mind. What if no one comes? But the first show went really well and it helped to have the support of my team. If you're thinking of doing something new and daring yourself, you'll need the support from your team too. And a partner like Shopify can make all the difference. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all e commerce in the US from household names like Heinz and Mattel to brands just getting started using Shopify, you can get the word out like you have a whole marketing team behind you. Easily create email and social media campaigns wherever your customers are scrolling or strolling. Best yet, Shopify is your commerce expert with world class expertise in everything from managing inventory to international shipping to processing returns and beyond. So it's time to take those scary what ifs into with Shopify today. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at shopify.com historydaily go to shopify.com historydaily that's shopify.com sh

[Safeway/Albertsons Advertiser]

this week with digital coupons at Safeway and Albertsons get beef rib roast for $7.97 per pound member price with minimum purchase of $50 or more in a single transaction. Exclusions apply. See Store for details and Broccoli, cauliflower or russet potatoes are 97 cents per pound. Member price limit 6 pounds plus selected sizes and varieties of Lucerne butter cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese are 197 in each member price. Visit safewayralbertsons.com for more deals and ways

[Podcast Narrator (Marlene Gordon)]

to save day or night. VRBoCare is here 24? 7 to help make every part of your stay seamless. If anything comes up or you simply need a little guidance, support is ready whenever you reach out from the moment you book to the moment you head home. We're here to help things run smoothly because a great trip starts with the right support. And hey, a good playlist doesn't hurt either.

[Safeway/Albertsons Advertiser]

This week with digital coupons at Safeway and Albertsons get beef rib roast for $7.97 per pound member price with minimum purchase of $50 or more in a single transaction. Exclusions apply. See Store for details and Broccoli, cauliflower or russet potatoes are 97 cents per pound. Member price limit 6 pounds plus selected sizes and varieties of Lucerne butter cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese are $1.97 each member price. Visit safewayralbertsons.com for more deals and ways

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

to save There was no chance, no time for romance. It was work. And he was very strict. Even after we married, I was Mrs. Evers, medically believed in no mixing, which I think was very smart.

[Rena Evers Everett]

She also wrote and edited some of his speeches.

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

A lot of respect that we had for each other came out of that working situation because you couldn't dial anything personal into it just wouldn't have worked.

[Rena Evers Everett]

I asked her at one point, I said, was there ever a time during the day that you know, because there was so much tragedy happening in the job that my father investigated, tried to rectify with some things. But bringing it back to the office for my mom to type up, to organize, to make the next steps. Was there ever a time in the office that you just stopped and looked at each other and just said, I love you?

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

Yeah, there were a couple of times we did. Not only did we say that I love him broke down and cried, both of us. That's when things were really, really tight and we didn't know whether we'd see each other even later that night. You can get very angry working with each other. But when you have a gun outside at your door, someone's tampered with your car blew up when you got in it can't take any chances to stay because you don't know if you'll be with each other. We live like sat everywhere tell you it was not easy. I have never in my life loved so hard.

[Lindsay Graham]

Fifteen minutes past midnight, Evers got out of his car beside his home in a Negro residential area. In a vacant lot about 40 yards away, a sniper fired a single shot from a high powered rifle at Evers silhouette. The bullet hit him in the back, crashed through his body through a window into the house. He died within an hour at a Jackson hospital. City detectives believe the fatal shot was fired from this sweet gum tree. They have found a rifle in the bushes which they think is the murder weapon.

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

I would have done anything but that man I was. Granted that took him away from us but that was not the way it was supposed to be. He took it, left me and he left our children all for the love of freedom. It was a nightmare, an absolute nightmare. And that was something that I had to deal with. What do I need do with our children if he is not here to steer me in the right direction? How old was I? I was pretty young.

[Rena Evers Everett]

30?

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

Was I 30? Was I that old? You just turned 30. But had never been out of my family home ever. And there I had to make decisions not only for Medicare and his health, but my children. Three children in their lives and mine. I'd never had anything like that to deal with and it rested on my shoulders. How can I be sure I'm right? The way to know is to try.

[Podcast Narrator (Marlene Gordon)]

Taking a pause here to say that if you're interested in following the Mississippi Freedom Trail through places like Jackson and elsewhere in the state, go to visitjackson.com visit mississippi.org or civilrightstrail.com if you'd like to hear more about Medgar Evers, scroll back to season two of the podcast to the episode called All Eyes on Mississippi. You can also check the show notes for links to these websites and other resources. It's a great way to begin planning your trip. Okay, back to the story.

[Rena Evers Everett]

When dad passed. I'm just going to be honest. Mom couldn't stand looking at us because it hurt too hot and continual crying. And so one day I snuck into the room and she was in the bed, totally distraught of course. And I told mama, mama, Mama, don't cry. I'll take care of you.

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

She's been my life saving.

[Rena Evers Everett]

She's been my life saving and vice versa as she's been for all of us. But you know, it's been a joy, a challenge and a joy to be with you in this life's journey. I wouldn't want to be with anybody else, Mom.

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

We were meant to be. And we were left behind to make the most of whatever was left. And I think I can say we have tried to do that. It has not been easy. This certainly hadn't been easy for our children and they have all been marvelous in the way they have handled it all. But they are responsible for from now going forward to do the best that they can for their children and other children to see that their fathers remembered in the best possible way that they can be long term to take care of their mother who has fought battles of her own ever since then. Some good, some not so good. But you also realize that there is so much out there still isn't together. Do you wonder when you wonder, oh and you don't know. And those who don't understand and who don't care, you want to just get them up by the bucket, put them in a vault. So you stay there until you learn what we've been through. I'm sorry, I'm through.

[Lindsay Graham]

History Daily is sponsored by Shopify. Starting something new isn't just hard, it's terrifying. Believe me, I'm so accustomed to working alone in a small windowless room that putting together my stage show scared me out of my mind. What if no one comes? But the first show went really well and it helped to have the support of my team. If you're thinking of doing something new and daring yourself, you'll need the support from your team too. And a partner like Shopify can make all the difference. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all e commerce in the US from household names like Heinz and Mattel to brands just getting started using Shopify, you can get the word out like you have a whole marketing team behind you, easily create email and social media campaigns wherever your customers are scrolling or strolling. Best yet, Shopify is your commerce expert with world class expertise in everything from managing inventory to international shipping to processing returns and beyond. So it's time to take those scary what ifs into with Shopify Today. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at shopify.comhistorydaily go to shopify.comhistorydaily that's shopify.comhistorydaily this week with digital coupons

[Safeway/Albertsons Advertiser]

at Safeway and Albertsons Get Beef rib roast for $7.97 per pound member price with minimum purchase of $50 or more in a single transaction. Exclusions apply. See Store for details and Broccoli, cauliflower or russet potatoes are 97 cents per pound. Member price limit 6 pounds plus selected sizes and varieties of Lucerne Butter cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese are 197 each member price. Visit safeway or albertsons.com for more deals and ways to save.

[Lindsay Graham]

With the American Express Platinum card, you can access over $3,500 in annual value with benefits and eligible purchases across travel, entertainment and more. There's nothing like Platinum. Learn more at americanexpress.com/explatin-platin enrollment requirements monthly and other limits in term supply this

[Safeway/Albertsons Advertiser]

week with digital coupons at Safeway and Albertsons get beef rib roast for $7.97 per pound member price with minimum purchase of $50 or more in a single transaction. Exclusions apply. See Store for details and Broccoli, cauliflower or russet potatoes are $0.97 per pound member price limit £6 plus selected sizes and varieties of Lucerne butter cheese cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese are 197 each member price. Visit Safeway or Albertsons.com for more deals and ways to save.

[Rena Evers Everett]

No Ma there's no reason to be sorry at all. It is something that is a bittersweet memory, and the reason why I say it's bittersweet is that I've told her over and over and over again how lucky I am to be in this family. It's bitter because of all the pain and the memories that don't go away, that are painful, that have shaped not just my life and my brother's lives, but I know my children. It's a generational trauma that people deal with trauma in different ways. One way is kind of like the way my dad did it and my mom did it, which was to work around it for the betterment of other people, not themselves, necessarily.

[Podcast Narrator (Marlene Gordon)]

After Medgar Evers was assassinated in 1963, Murley relocated to California, earned a sociology degree and became a civil rights activist and author. She ran for Congress, held executive roles in business and became the first Black woman on Los Angeles Board of Public works. In the 1990s, she chaired the NAACP, restoring its reputation and finances, and founded the Medgar and Murley Evers Institute. Her dedication led to the conviction of her husband's killer in 1994, and she became a leader in civil rights and social justice.

[Rena Evers Everett]

This year would have been my father's hundredth birthday. My mom was 92 this year. It's a blessing that she's here and all that she has accomplished. And I think about the question that you were. You had talked about earlier regarding how, where did you get the strength? How did you know this, that you had courage before what happened? It was the families, they were raised up saying, you have to keep your shoulders up, your head high, and you have to keep moving forward. And then you got to bring other people up with you. A large part of that teaching has not been brought all the way forward into this generation. We need to get back to that. Because I kept saying, mom, how did you do this? How'd you do this?

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

30 years old,

[Rena Evers Everett]

3 children, how'd you do it? And I totally know that Dad's spirit has always been there with her and with us. As dad said, you survive and you have. And it's amazing all the things that you've done. I mean, just utterly amazing.

[Podcast Narrator (Marlene Gordon)]

In 2013, Myrlie Evers Williams gave the invocation at President Barack Obama's second inauguration.

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

We come at this time to ask blessings upon our leaders, the president, vice President, members of Congress, all elected and appointed officials of the United States of America. We are here to ask blessings upon our armed forces. Blessings upon all who contribute to the essence of the American spirit, the American dream, the opportunity to become whatever our mankind, womankind, allows us to be. This is the promise of America. My children have been alive. They still are, as a matter of fact, in Brussels. I am so very thankful that I have lived long enough to see them reach the mature age that they are. To have witnessed their growth over the years from the time their father was killed to today has been a marvelous trip. I am so very proud of them and the people that they have turned out to be. I couldn't ask for a better blessing. And I know Meta would feel the same way. Prouder she could be. I hope and I pray that their lives will continue in the best possible way.

[Rena Evers Everett]

Well, I tell you, she doesn't think about her in that because it's all I've heard. It's about dad. He's always been focused on making sure that his legacy continues, that people around the world know, that people of different generations know not just about him, but collectively what so many have done. But at such a young age, that there's so many people who have been in the fight for human rights, civil rights, that they're acknowledged, and what they have done is a template to what's going on right now. And so for her her purpose in life is something that she has said to me before is making sure that her children are taken care of. It was the night before my father was killed that she said they cried together in the house, sitting on the couch, my mother saying to my father, I can't live without you. And he said to her, you're stronger than you think you are. Take care of my children. And you said, of course I will, because they're my children too. But that was a directive that was fully embraced and continues on now, and the directive of making sure that all

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

children

[Rena Evers Everett]

and humanity is a just, humane society. Peace of mind for me and I think for you, is not something that is finite. It's not like right there. It's not like I can touch this pillow and know that that's peace. I think it's the air that surrounds us. There's a sense of peace that surrounds us, but it's not necessarily a tangible peace that you can touch all the time. It's a feeling within, which is something that you said to me before. It's the feeling within when there's a serene being that's within sight of you for that moment. So I guess I'm saying to you, stop chasing peace. Just be in the peaceful moment.

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

It thank you, thank you, my daughter.

[Rena Evers Everett]

But okay, thank you.

[Myrlie Evers Williams]

I love you, baby. I love you too. Sa.

[Podcast Narrator (Marlene Gordon)]

After listening to the podcast, Plan a trip along the Mississippi Freedom Trail. There are more than 50 sites throughout the state that tell the stories of the movement and honor important people of the era. Go to visit mississippi.org or civilrightstrail.com you can also check the show notes for links to these websites and other resources. In this episode, we heard from Myrlie Evers Williams and her daughter Rena Evers Everett. I'm Marlene Gordon. The Mississippi Freedom Trail Podcast is sponsored by Visit Mississippi and the US Civil Rights Trail Marketing Alliance. The series was produced by Ingredient Creative, with Tanner Latham as executive producer and Kathryn Welch as the writer for this episode. Kelly Libby provided script editing and Elliot Majerzik edited and mixed the sound.

[Safeway/Albertsons Advertiser]

This week with digital coupons at Safeway and Albertsons. Get beef rib roast for $7.97 per pound member price with minimum purchase of $50 or more in a single transaction. Exclude Apply see store for details and Broccoli, cauliflower or russet potatoes are 97 cents per pound. Member price limit 6 pounds plus. Selected sizes and varieties of Lucerne butter cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese are 197 each member price visit safeway or albertsons.com for more deals and ways to save.

[Lindsay Graham]

With the American Express Platinum card, you can access over $3,500 in annual value with benefits and eligible purchases across travel, entertainment and more. There's nothing like Platinum. Learn more@american express.com Explore Platinum enrollment requirements, monthly and other limits in terms of

[Safeway/Albertsons Advertiser]

this week with digital coupons at Safeway and Albertsons. Get beef rib roast for $7.97 per pound member price with minimum purchase of $50 or more in a single transaction. Exclusions apply. See Store for details and Broccoli, cauliflower or russet potatoes are $0.97 per pound member price limit £6 plus selected sizes and varieties of Lucerne butter cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese are 197 each member price. Visit safeway or albertsons.com for more deals and ways to save.