MSMo 358 J.C. Fairley - Forrest County NAACP President, Ext. Ver.

In 1961, J.C. Fairley was elected president of the Hattiesburg chapter of the NAACP.  He remembers being warned of the danger of accepting such a high profile position by another civil rights leader, Medgar Evers.  John Frazier made a highly publicized attempt to become the first African-American to enroll at the University of Southern Mississippi in March of 1964. Fairley recalls accompanying Frazier to the USM campus and the welcome they received. He also explains how they successfully integrated 90% of Forrest County’s hotels and restaurants in just one day.  June 12th marks the 50th Anniversary of the death Medgar Evers. Mississippi Moments salutes the brave Mississippians who stood up for what was right during that turbulent time. Please enjoy this extended version of the original broadcast episode.