1922 – James Charles Evers Is Born
James Charles “Charles” Evers, born on September 11, 1922 in Decatur, Mississippi, grew up amid Jim Crow and racial violence, shaping his lifelong fight for civil rights. After serving in World War II, he and his brother Medgar organized voter registration drives. He later became NAACP’s Mississippi field director following Medgar’s 1963 assassination, leading demonstrations across the state.
In 1969, Evers became the first Black mayor of Fayette, Mississippi, and advised several U.S. presidents. A lifelong activist, he died in 2020 at age 97.
1969 – The United Black Front Drafts Letter to Seattle Mayor
The United Black Front (UBF), formed in 1968, brought together 50 Black Power organizations with shared goals of ending white oppression, gaining political and economic influence, improving education, and eliminating racial discrimination. Under the leadership of Dave Mills of Seattle, the UBF created 13 committees focused on housing, youth, labor, political action, and other pressing issues.
On September 11, 1969, the UBF sent a letter to Seattle’s mayor demanding solutions to prostitution and drug problems near Black schools, including Edmond Meany Junior High. Although powerful in its early years, the coalition dissolved in the early 1970s.
2001 – Godwin O. Ajala Passes Away
Godwin Ajala, a Nigerian-born lawyer and father of three, emigrated to the United States in 1995 seeking a better future. While working as a security guard at New York’s World Trade Center, he studied for the New York Bar Exam, hoping to bring his family from Ebonyi, Nigeria, to join him. Though he faced setbacks, friends remembered his determination and discipline.
On September 11, 2001, Ajala became a hero. Instead of fleeing, he helped evacuate thousands from Two World Trade Center, repeatedly reentering the building to guide others to safety. He died days later at age 33.
