January 27, 2021 at 2:54pm
⚠️ Please Note: This article was published in 2021. Visit our Events Calendar to view current upcoming events.
Barry Bradford uses his talents for storytelling to provide a deeper understanding of historical events and the impacts they have on our lives today.
The award-winning Deerfield historian and educator is bringing those talents to the Northbrook Park District when he tells the story of Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers. Returning home from a voting rights rally, Evers was murdered on June 12, 1963 as he pulled into the driveway of his Jackson, Mississippi home. Although the assassin, white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith was not charged initially, the case was reopened 30 years later and De La Beckwith was convicted.
Sponsored by Whitehall of Deerfield, Bradford’s presentation will take place virtually via Zoom Tuesday, Feb. 2 from 2-3:30pm. A link will be emailed to registered participants.
“Barry Bradford is a gifted storyteller,” said Northbrook Park District Recreation Supervisor Laura Wassinger, who helped arrange the presentation. “He’s able to make history approachable, engaging and fun to learn.”
Bradford, who established ties with Evers’ family, was inspired by the reopening of the case while working as a social studies teacher. That inspiration led him to work with his students to help reopen the murder case of civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, an event dramatized in the 1988 film Mississippi Burning. Bradford also played a role in efforts to overturn the conviction of civil rights pioneer Clyde Kennard.
“The story of Medgar Evers is inherently fascinating and points to the fact it’s never too late to do the right thing,” Bradford said. “America is a country founded on the concept of justice for all and the case of Medgar Evers proves America truly believes in this concept.”
To join the presentation, click here or call 847-291-2993.
The Mission of the Northbrook Park District is to enhance the community by providing outstanding services, parks and facilities through environmental, social and financial stewardship.