Coming Full Circle 

Descendants of civil rights leader join UM law community

by Jennifer Farish

Perfect examples of how times and attitudes have changed at The University of Mississippi, twins Corrie (left) and Courtney Cockrell speak highly of their experiences at the UM School of Law. More than 50 years ago, their great-uncle Medgar Wiley Evers was denied admission to the then-segregated law school.

Sitting near the newly erected University of Mississippi Civil Rights Monument on a recent fall day, Corrie Cockrell (JD 06) and her twin sister Courtney, a first-year UM law student, speak proudly of their family’s history and struggle.

The sisters, 25, feel that their family has come full circle through their education at UM. More than 50 years ago, their great-uncle Medgar Wiley Evers was denied entry into the then-segregated UM School of Law. Evers later was instrumental in the desegregation of the university with the enrollment of James Meredith in 1962. The following year, the civil rights leader was brutally assassinated by an admitted member of the Ku Klux Klan.

Just over 40 years after Evers’s death, his great-nieces talk openly about the pain their family endured and the progress that has been made. On this day, the sisters are seated just below the words “Courage” and “Knowledge” engraved in the monument’s arches. Less than six feet away stands a statue of Meredith striding toward the open arch.

The Cockrells are the granddaughters of Evers’s older brother Charles, who moved back to Mississippi following his brother’s murder to continue the fight for equality. A member of the NAACP, Charles Evers was present during the first attempt to bring his brother’s killer to justice in 1964, an effort that ended with two deadlocked juries. “

He still breaks down every year on the anniversary of Uncle Medgar’s death,” Courtney said. “It is always emotional for him. That was his little brother, and he felt protective of him. He tells the story about the two of them growing up. On cold nights, Granddaddy would get into Uncle Medgar’s bed to warm it up for him. He said he was always trying to look out for him.”

In 1994, Charles Evers sat through another trial as Byron De La Beckwith was retried for the murder. Though neither Corrie nor Courtney attended the trial, they vividly remember the feeling among their family members as De La Beckwith was finally convicted. “I remember my parents talking to us about how the hate was still visible in him so many years later,” Corrie said. “It was just such a long time coming, and no one knew what the outcome would be because it had been so many years since it had happened.”

“It was important for there to be some form of justice,” Courtney added. “And I think the fact that he was convicted really demonstrated to people how far Mississippi has come.”

Each year, the Evers family hosts a homecoming celebration commemorating Medgar’s life. It was through those homecoming celebrations that the Cockrell twins first realized the significance of their family’s role in the civil rights struggle, and it was through their relationship with their grandfather that they realized the weight that the words “courage” and “knowledge” hold.

“Our parents always stressed to us the importance of education,” Courtney added. “We know that our uncle and others died for us to be able to have the education we have been blessed with, so we appreciate the significance of the opportunities we’ve been afforded.”

The sisters, who both graduated from Tennessee State University, are the first members of their family to attend The University of Mississippi. They selected the school because of its prestige and are quick to praise the experience they have had in Oxford. This past May, Charles Evers and other family members visited the campus to attend Corrie’s graduation from law school. The family was able to visit the Medgar Evers Memorial in the Lamar Law Center after the ceremony, and the twins say their grandfather’s voice was exploding with pride the entire day.

“All he could say was, ‘Medgar would be so proud,’” Corrie said. “You could hear it in Granddaddy’s voice—how proud he was. It’s something you wish you could bottle up and keep.”

Corrie, who works for Judge Tyree Irving with the state Court of Appeals, and Courtney, who is set to complete law school in spring 2009, agree that they were somewhat anxious about their decision to attend UM. However, they quickly found not only that there were people who accepted them, but there also were people who welcomed them with open arms.

“I’ve never had any regrets about my decision to come to school here,” Corrie said. “It is such a prestigious school, and I have felt at home and comfortable since the first day. The people here—the students and the professors—are so open and helpful and encouraging. When you have that type of environment, it makes it easy to excel and to have the frame of mind to succeed.”

In fact, they said, the atmosphere has fostered a continued desire for knowledge and a genuine appreciation for the courage of others who paved the way. It is a journey full of hope and progress, and, as Corrie said, “It does feel like we’ve come full circle in some way.”

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