Today in Labor History February 5, 1994: A jury convicted Byron De La Beckwork of murdering civil rights leader Medgar Evers, only 31 years after the fact. Edgars fought to overturn segregation at the University of Mississippi, end segregation of public facilities, and expand voting rights for African Americans He was the first NAACP field secretary in Mississippi. He was also a decorated US Army veteran who served in World War II.