Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of pregnancy loss, death, and racism, including racist violence.

Byron De La Beckwith, the suspect in Evers’s assassination, was a World War II veteran, a racist, and a known member of the KKK. Arresting Beckwith was difficult, but the government prioritized the investigation, fearing racial conflict in Mississippi. Despite Beckwith’s reputation as a “fanatic,” however, civil rights activists doubted that he acted individually. Several witnesses identified Beckwith but also mentioned other white men watching Evers’s house. The FBI considered Beckwith’s arrest a triumph but did not investigate the involvement of the KKK or others in the case.

Williams distrusted the justice system. As a civil rights widow, she became a frequent public speaker and fundraiser for the NAACP. In one of her speeches, fueled by “love and legacy” (235), Williams stated that Evers sacrificed for all Americans. Williams felt that her voice was “strong” and became a popular public speaker. She was determined to punish whoever was involved in her husband’s death. Still, her grief troubled her, and her children were also distressed. Williams also had a miscarriage. She felt her strength declining, and her sister-in-law stressed the need to “heal” and protect her children.