Re-opening The Evers Case?

**darklionarts** · 02-16-2006

ARTICLE
Re-opening The Evers Case?

by Adam Lynch
Photo by Kate Medley

February 15, 2006

Jackson Mayor Frank Melton launched into a tirade last week over his desire to give the Jackson international airport the full name of former NAACP Field Secretary Medgar Evers, who was assassinated in his driveway in 1963.

Jackson council members voted 6-0 in favor of changing the airport name to the Jackson-Evers International Airport in December 2004, at the request of Jackson resident Ineva May-Pittman, but some city residents, including Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes, wanted Evers’ full name to be on the airport.

Melton, speaking at the BankPlus-Mississippi Symphony Orchestra concert at Thalia Mara Hall for a tribute to Medgar Evers, surprised some in the audience when, pumping his fist in the air, he announced that “I’m not going to rest” until Evers’ full name was on the airport.

The city’s Planning and Development Department decided last year on the hyphenated version of the current name.

Ward 2 Councilman Leslie McLemore, who voted to support the name change in 2004, said he was unaware of any administration language indicating a desire to re-name the airport a second time.

“If (Melton) plans to re-name the airport I haven’t received word on it, yet,” McLemore said. “Not to say the council wouldn’t be friendly to the prospect, but I don’t think we’ve heard any plan so far.”

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**AfroNinpo** · 02-17-2006

HTP Darklion Arts!!!

I'd like to believe Brother Melton is truly concerned with this case, but I'm more inclined to believe that he's more concerned with his legacy. Either way, Edgars should be the only name on the airport. If I'm not mistaken, in the debate, the councilmembers wanted to make sure the airport was branded and people could tell by the name, where they were coming (stupid argument). So, people flying to Dulles don't know they're going to DC? People flying to Hartsfield-Jackson don't know they're coming to ATL? What about LaGuardia? These places were named after people that mattered to their various communities. So why should Evers have to share?