Medgar and Myrlie

Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America

By: Joy-Ann Reid

Narrated by: Joy-Ann Reid

Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

#1 New York Times Bestseller

“Medgar Evers deserves a place alongside Malcolm X and Dr. King in our historical memory. Evers, with Myrlie as his partner in activism and in life, was doing civil rights work in the single most hostile and dangerous environment in America.”—from Medgar and Myrlie

By MSNBC's Joy-Ann Reid, a triumphant work of biography that repositions slain Civil Rights pioneer Medgar Evers at the heart of America's struggle for freedom, and celebrates Myrlie Evers's extraordinary activism after her husband's assassination in the driveway of their Mississippi home.

"I love this book. The empathic, brilliant, and wise Joy Reid has brought us the poignant, fascinating inside story of Medgar and Myrlie Evers, transformational leaders who confronted pure evil and risked their lives to ensure that all American children might grow up in a United States that was more just. As Reid shows us, that painful task is now more urgent than ever.” — Michael Beschloss

Myrlie Louise Beasley met Medgar Evers on her first day of college. They fell in love at first sight, married just one year later, and Myrlie left school to focus on their growing family.

Medgar became the field secretary for the Mississippi branch of the NAACP, charged with beating back the most intractable and violent resistance to black voting rights in the country. Myrlie served as Medgar’s secretary and confidant, working hand in hand with him as they struggled against public accommodations and school segregation, lynching, violence, and sheer despair within their state’s “black belt.” They fought to desegregate the intractable University of Mississippi, organized picket lines and boycotts, despite repeated terroristic threats, including the 1962 firebombing of their home, where they lived with their three young children.

On June 12, 1963, Medgar Evers became the highest profile victim of Klan-related assassination of a black civil rights leader at that time; gunned down in the couple’s driveway in Jackson. In the wake of his tragic death, Myrlie carried on their civil rights legacy; writing a book about Medgar’s fight, trying to win a congressional seat, and becoming a leader of the NAACP in her own right.

In this groundbreaking and thrilling account of two heroes of the civil rights movement, Joy-Ann Reid uses Medgar and Myrlie’s relationship as a lens through which to explore the on-the-ground work that went into winning basic rights for Black Americans, and the repercussions that still resonate today.

©2023 Joy-Ann Reid (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

The courage and perseverance of black Americans during segregation.

I learned a lot about segregation struggles in America and the many unsung and celebrated heroes of the past.

Medger ✊🏾

This is a great love story about an underappreciated civil rights leader and his family. It’s beautiful, sad, inspiring, and the outcome, unfortunately, was inevitable.

Remarkable people

Amazing couple who did so
Much to change racism with one dying to move change and the other enduring to see it happen. Hearing Joy narrate the story made it even better !

An emotional read!

I enjoyed learning about how they met and about their family lives. Learning about the relationships of their family and friends gave me a better understanding of who they were and what drove their lives.

Excellent!

Thank you Joi Reid for this excellent historical account and love story of two freedom fighters.

Wonderful untold story

I loved the way the author delved into the person lives of Medgar and Myrlie. Joy described how their relationship was loving and contentious like many couples but they embraced their differences for the betterment of both family and country.

The Great Love of Medgar and Myrlie,

It’s a very good audio book, I enjoyed it so much and hearing how these two people loved and supported each other’s work and believed in each other like few couples do, great story.

A must read!

Thank you for telling the story that too many people know nothing about. I grew up in Mississippi in the late seventies, and didn't know who Medgar Evers was until I was in my forties. Thank you again! I loved hearing your voice on the Audible version of this book.

A beautiful story, well told

Using the thread of love to frame the story of Medgar and Myrlie’s incredible lives, loves, struggles, dreams, fierce activism, sacrifices, perseverance, and achievements, and how they shaped the world—elevating the lives of African Americans and all people, was captivating, enlightening, moving and simply phenomenal. Thank you Joy for bringing new depth and insight about the contributions of this amazing couple to humanity.

Enlightening and Beautiful!

Wonderfully written and told. The information was enlightening for me about history I thought I knew. The Evers were and are American Heroes! Joy Reid is a powerhouse.