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Via Adam Serwer’s Twitter, a proud day:
The Navy announced today the newest Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo/ammunition ship (T-AKE) would be named USNS Medgar Evers. The announcement was made by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus during a Jackson State University speaking engagement in Mississippi.
Evers, of course, was murdered in Mississippi. Years later, Mabus became the state’s governor. If only the ship was built in the state Evers did so much to change. It will help maintain the Navy’s "worldwide forward presence by delivering ammunition, food, fuel, and other dry cargo to U.S. and allied ships at sea."
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First of all, I think this is awesome. Second of all, after seeing Sec. Mabus on the Daily Show, I was shocked to find out such a seemingly nice and reasonable guy was the governor of Mississippi. I looked it up, and not only was he governor, but he was born in Ackerman, Mississippi.
Mississippi is not what it once was.
Ever’s murderer, WW2 hero and Klansman Byron De La Beckwith, was finally convicted in a third trial in Panola County, Mississippi by a mixed-race jury in 1994, and the Mississippi Supreme Court upheld the conviction 3 years later. He got life and died in 2001.
This is terrific news, Spencer.
I love the fact that they’re honoring Evers. But where’s Greenpeace in all of this? Shouldn’t Greenpeace, or CARE, or the Red Cross, or some peace-loving organization that has boats, ALSO have a Medgar Evers ship?
I can see it now, an NGO navy named after US civil-rights heros. USS Rosa Parks (NARAL, the USS MLK (Acorn), and the USS Malcom X (Moveon.org, don’t they need a boat for something?).
“Mississippi is not what it once was.”
Yes it is.