Alcorn State University May 3, 2014 Civil Rights Legend and former NAACP Chairman Myrlie Evers to address Alcorn graduates at its 143rd Commencement Convocation Civil Rights legend and former NAACP Chairman Myrlie Evers will share words of wisdom with Alcorn graduates at its 143rd Commencement Convocation Saturday, May 10, at 8:30 a.m. in the Davey L. Whitney HPER Complex on the Lorman campus. Alcorn will award degrees to nearly 600 students who have applied to receive 440 bachelor's and 156 master's degrees. Myrlie Evers began her legendary tenure as chairman of the NAACP in 1995. Evers' positive reputation among civil rights activists made her election a cause for renewed optimism among NAACP supporters. She is credited with spearheading the operations that restored the NAACP to its original status as the premier civil rights organization in America. She became the first elected chairman-emeritus of the NAACP in 1998 when she retired to establish the Medgar Evers Institute, linking business, government and communities to further human rights and equality. Myrlie Evers is perhaps best remembered as the widow of Medgar Evers, the Mississippi state field secretary for the NAACP who in 1963 was gunned down in the driveway of his home in Jackson, Mississippi. She waged a painstaking battle to keep her husband's memory and dreams alive and valiantly lobbied to bring his killer to justice. Her diligence eventually paid off when the assassin was brought to trial for a third time and finally, in 1994, was found guilty of the murder of Medgar Evers, more than 30 years after the crime. Always a voter-registration activist, Evers became a candidate to represent the 24th Congressional District of California in 1970. She went on to become the first black woman to head the Southern California Democratic Women's Division and was convener of the National Women's Political Caucus. Her corporate career began in 1973 with a two year term with the New York firm, Selligman and Latz, Inc. where she held the position of vice president for advertising and publicity. For 10 years Evers worked for Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO), serving first as the national director for community affairs, and later as director, consumer affairs. During her tenure at ARCO she developed the concept for the first corporate booklet on women in non-traditional jobs, "Women at ARCO". In 1988, she was the first black woman to be named to the five-member Board of Public Works by Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley, where she helped oversee a budget of nearly $1 billion. As an author, Myrlie Evers has captured the work and historical significance of the civil rights movement through several publications chronicling the life of Medgar Evers. In 1967, she co-wrote "For Us, the Living" with William Peters; and in 2006, with co-author Manning Marable, she penned "The Autobiography of Medgar Evers: A Hero's Life and Legacy Revealed Through His Writings, Letters and Speeches". In 1999, she published her personal memoirs, "Watch Me Fly: What I Learned on the Way to Becoming the Woman I Was Meant to Be", which charts her journey from being the wife of an activist to becoming a community leader in her own right. In addition to holding 16 honorary degrees from leading colleges and universities, Evers is a recipient of numerous civil rights, human rights and community awards. Her governance expertise has been recognized by national and international organizations. In 2007, as NAACP chairman-emeritus, she led a delegation to Paris, France, to present the Conseil Representatifs des Associations Noires (CRAN) with a recognition award in support of its efforts to achieve racial equality and social justice for black French men and women. Augmenting her social justice advocacy work, she remains an often sought after lecturer at colleges and universities. In January 2012, Evers was invited to return to the campus of Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi, where she is distinguished scholar-in-residence. Balancing her passion for justice and equality with her love and training for music, her diverse talent was highlighted in a special invitational concert series at Carnegie Hall in December 2012. In January 2013, President Barack Obama selected Myrlie Evers to deliver the invocation during his second Inauguration, making her the first woman and lay person to have the honor. Today, Myrlie Evers serves as the chairman of the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute (MMEI) and continues the mission of championing civil rights with a focus on history, reconciliation and education for a new generation of leaders. Family members and guests attending commencement convocation and school ceremonies are asked to arrive early as event locations traditionally fill to capacity. Overflow areas will be provided. Following is a compilation of other commencement ceremonies. Wednesday, May 7 10:00 a.m., School of Agriculture, Research, Extension, and Applied Sciences, Ray Johnson Assembly Center 2:00 p.m., School of Education and Psychology Teacher Induction Ceremony, Oakland Memorial Chapel 5:00 p.m., School of Graduate Studies Reception, Dr. Clinton Bristow, Jr. Dining Hall - Gold Room Thursday, May 8 1:00 p.m., School of Nursing Pinning Ceremony, Davey L. Whitney HPER Complex 3:00 p.m., School of Arts and Sciences, James L. Bolden Campus Union Ballroom 5:00 p.m., School of Business Pinning Ceremony, Dr. Clinton Bristow, Jr. Dining Hall - Gold Room 6:00 p.m., International and Multicultural Student Congratulatory, J. D. Boyd Library - Medgar Wiley Evers Auditorium Friday, May 9 9:00 a.m., Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony, Oakland Memorial Chapel The convocation can be viewed online at www.alcorn.edu, with a live stream beginning 15 minutes before the ceremony. For additional information, call (601) 877-6142. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. 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