Myrlie Evers-Williams, a Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at Alcorn State University, is an African-American civil rights leader, who for decades has broken barriers of racial and gender inequality in the workplace, in government and in society. Her legacy evokes leadership in activism, journalism, politics and public service. A native of Vicksburg, Mississippi, Myrlie Evers became a symbol of courage as well as tragedy in the civil rights movement, and went on to become a championed leader of civil rights herself. In 1995, Mrs. Evers-Williams became both the first female and first full-time chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) — a post she held until 1998. During her tenure leading the nation's oldest civil rights organization, Ms. Magazine named her Woman of the Year. Mrs. Evers chronicled the life of her husband Medgar Evers, and the civil rights struggle in Mississippi in a co-authored book, For Us, the Living and anchored a special HBO production, Southern Justice, the Murder of Medgar Evers. Other books include Watch Me Fly: What I learned On the Way to Becoming the Woman I Was Meant to Be, and most recently, The Autobiography of Medgar Evers: A Hero's Life and Legacy Revealed Through His Writings, Letters, and Speeches. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

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