Ghosts of Mississippi: The Murder of Medgar Evers, the Trials of Byron De La Beckwith, and the Haunting of the New South by Maryanne Vollers (1995-04-01)

In "Ghosts of Mississippi," Maryanne Vollers delves deep into the heart of America’s troubled history with racial justice through the poignant story of Medgar Evers, a key figure in the civil rights movement whose life was brutally cut short. The book revisits the night of 1963 in Mississippi when NAACP leader Evers was assassinated by white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith, a crime that ignited widespread outrage and a quest for justice that spanned over three decades. Through meticulous research and firsthand accounts, Vollers offers a gripping recount of the trials that eventually led to Beckwith’s conviction. This narrative not only explores the personal and emotional journey of Evers’s family but also illuminates the broader cultural and historical shifts in a region haunted by its violent past. Aimed primarily at adult education groups, this book challenges readers to reflect on the transformation of the South from the era of blatant racism to one of legal justice and moral questioning. Vollers's narrative encourages a critical examination of how far society has come in the fight against racial injustice and how much further it needs to go.