Skip to Main Content

HNRS 305 -- Explorations in Modern America

This guide provides students in this course with links, databases and tips for conducting research

Instructions

Topic: Assassination of Medgar Egars by Byron de la Beckwith in 1963

  1. (10 minutes) In groups of 5, critically evaluate the source(s) you've been given. Using the white board - take notes on the following: What is it? What is going on? What questions do you have about our topic based on the source? What other perspectives do you want to hear from?
  2. (5 minutes) In your new group, combine your knowledge using both sources. Revise and add to your sources
  3. (5 minutes) in your newest group, combine knowledge from all three sources. Pose 1-2 questions you still have given all the knowledge you've accumulated. What voices are still missing?
  4. As a large group - let's pull together the big picture related to Medgar Evers assassination and identify 1-2 questions that further research could help us answer.

Resources to Evaulate

Team 1: Primary Sources

FBI Freedom of Information File on Medgar Evers

Note: the file is quite long - flip through and skim, don't try to read the entire file

"Evidence Mounts against Beckwith - Prints Liked, Mississippi Free press, Saturday Feb 8, 1964

Note: The article is at the bottom of page 2 of the newspaper. If you have time and interest - see page 5 of February 15th (White Jury Cornered)

 

Team 2: Secondary Sources

Rowe, Michael. “Contemporary Prosecutions of Civil Rights Era Crimes: An Argument Against Retroactive Application of Statue of Limitations Amendments.” The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (1973-), vol. 101, no. 2, Northwestern University School of Law, 2011, pp. 699–726.

Elliot, Jeffrey, and Medgar Evers. “Medgar Evers a Personal Portrait.” Negro History Bulletin, vol. 40, no. 6, Association for the Study of African American Life and History, 1977, pp. 760–63.

Taylor, Todd. "Exorcising the Ghosts of a Shameful Past: The Third Trial and Conviction of Byron de la Beckwith." Boston College Third World Law Journal 16.2 (1996): 359.

 

Team 3: Tertiary Sources

Medgar Evers, NAACP

Medgar Evers, Medgar Evers College (CUNY)

Note: Click through all the pages but focus on the "Murder of Medgar Evers"

Help | Off Campus?