Charles Evers Passed Away!

Charles Evers, a pioneer of civil rights passed away.

Another legendary member in the fight for civil rights passed away.

Charles Evers passed away at the age of 97 in Brandon, Mississippi.

James Charles Evers was an American civil rights activist, businessman, disc jockey and politician.

Evers was known for his role in the civil rights movement along with his brother Medgar Evans.

His family confirms he had passed away of natural causes. Charles was considered one of the pioneers of the civil rights movement in the United States. He became the NAACP's state voter registration chairman in 1954, and after his brother's death, Charles took over leadership roles and began voter registration drives in honor of his brother.

In 1969, Evers made history when he became mayor of Fayette, Mississippi. He was known as the first African American to be a mayor of a Mississippi city.

Charles Evers with Martin Luther King, Jr.

Throughout a career that also included being a businessman and radio host, Charles was described by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) as a man who "was never afraid to challenge the accepted norms or fly in the face of political correctness."

"As an elected official he navigated the circuitous route from Freedom Democrat to Independent to Republican, even serving as a Trump elector in 2016. He used his powerful personality and platform to change Mississippi for the better," said Wicker.

Evers was born in Decatur, Mississippi in 1922. He was the eldest of four children. He grew up in the poor Mississippi with his sisters and brother. Charles attended segregated schools, which were underfunded and poorly maintained.

He is a graduate of Alcorn State University.

Trump has Charles Evers at the White House.

He served in the World War II and fell in love with a Philippine woman while stationed overseas. He could not marry her and bring her to his native Mississippi because of the state's constitutional ban on interracial marriage.

He had participated in criminal activity during his younger years. He was a bootlegger, pimp and numbers runner before he changed his life.

He was a disc jockey for the radio station WHOC in Philadelphia, Mississippi. He served a year as a reserve officer in the Korean War before he retired from active duty.

Charles was no angel. He admitted it. It was the shooting of his brother Medgar that changed him.

His brother was killed by Byron De La Beckwith in the Freedom Summer. He devoted his life to honoring his brother and those who fought for civil rights.

Later in life, he served as a mayor in the city of Fayette. He would be mayor from 1969 to 1981 and a second run from 1985 to 1989. He was then a Democrat during the 1960s.

He would end up becoming an independent in the 1970s. When Ronald Reagan would announce his run for president, Charles would become a Republican and endorsed the former California governor and actor.

I am deeply saddened by the loss of my friend Charles Evers. Charles was a trail blazer in politics and a fearless leader, alongside his brother Medgar, for Civil Rights. pic.twitter.com/rL4bLbCY1D

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 22, 2020

Reagan had changed Blacks in the South. Despite the Democratic Party maintaining a strong support with African Americans, Republicans managed to seal up over 10% of the vote.

Reagan and Donald J. Trump were the only Republicans to manage to capture more than 10% of the Black vote.

Charles was a conservative Republican by death. He didn't brag about being a conservative. He just used his principles as a man of honor and not a showboat like Candace Owens, Jesse Lee Peterson, Terrence K. Williams and Kevin Jackson.

Although, a Black Republican, James Charles Evers had dedicated his life to helping African Americans.