Myrlie Evers, one of the last living icons of the civil rights era, announced on CBS Mornings that she is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for president, saying “the fight for justice is far from over.”
In a brief statement aired Thursday — two days after Harris met former President Donald Trump in person for the first time ABC News’ Presidential Debate – Evers explained why she decided to speak out during the 2024 presidential election.
“We need leaders who are willing to continue that fight [for justice]. Leaders who understand that justice is not just a promise, but a right – enshrined in our Constitution,” Evers said.
Evers has promised to continue her late husband Medgar Evers’ fight for racial equality since his assassination in June 1963. Medgar Evers, the Mississippi field secretary for the NAACP, was gunned down outside his home after returning from a meeting. He died at age 37.
“My late husband, Medgar Evers, believed in the power of change. He knew that we must never lose hope. Even in the darkest of times. He often said, ‘You can kill a man, but you can’t kill an idea.’ That idea. The American idea of justice has carried us through our darkest days,” Evers told “CBS Mornings.”
She said she is proud to lend her voice to Harris’ presidential campaign, adding that the vice president, who has had a long career in public service — as a district attorney, attorney general of the statesenator and vice president – will be remembered as a changemaker.
“Kamala Harris following in our footsteps. Shirley Chisholm. Barbra Jordan. Maxine Waters. And myself. Those of us who have committed to supporting our communities as they thrive and grow,” she said. “This election is about the future of our nation. It’s about ensuring that the sacrifices of those who came before us, like my husband, were not in vain. It’s about ensuring that the progress we’ve made is protected. We’re not going back.”
During Tuesday’s debate, Harris responded to Trump’s inaccurate comments about her racial identity during a recent interview with the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago, saying she “just happened to become black” a few years ago.
“I think it’s a tragedy that we have someone running for president who has consistently tried throughout his career to use race to divide the American people. You know, I think the vast majority of us know that we have so much more in common than what divides us. And we don’t want this kind of approach that constantly tries to divide us, and particularly on the basis of race,” Harris said Tuesday.
“If you make a big deal about something, I don’t give a damn,” Trump replied when asked about the insensitive remark during the debate. “Whatever she wants to be, I’m fine with it.”
