Medgar & Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story that Awakened America

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of sexual violence, pregnancy loss, death, and racism, including racist violence, the Jim Crow era, and enslavement.

Reid emphasizes that “love” is the central idea of her book, as she explores the “love story” between Medgar Evers and Myrlie Williams. Williams fell in love with Evers on her first day as a 17-year-old student at what was then Alcorn A&M College. A gifted musician and singer, she intended to major in education with a minor in music. Despite the harsh reality of racism in the country, she was determined to succeed, inspired by her grandmother and aunt. At the time, Evers was 25 years old, a confident young man, and a World War II veteran. The two married in 1951, and their relationship was caught up in the momentum of the civil rights movement.

Reid notes that through Evers and Williams’s love story, she also highlights the “higher love” of African Americans for their country. Evers had a deep love for Mississippi and its Black community and stressed that his activist work derived from love. He was determined to fight against the racism that continued to kill and dehumanize Black people.