MDAH Religion in Mississippi Research Fellow Presents Research on Medgar Evers

Zachary Clary, the 2026 Religion in Mississippi History Research Fellow, has completed his summer research at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and his work will be included in his doctoral dissertation.

Clary, a doctoral candidate at Vanderbilt University, recently presented “Slaying the Dreamer: Violence, Death, and Martyrdom in the American Civil Rights Movement,” a project that examines the sacrifice of civil rights leaders in the South.

His research in Jackson focused on Medgar Evers, who is one of the dissertation’s case studies.

“For me, [Evers] was the emotional core that brought me to doing this project in the first place,” Clary said.

He investigated how Evers was viewed before and after his death as a hero and “martyr.” Clary focused on the idea of sacrifice in the context of religion and the South.

Clary spent most of his time combing through the Medgar Wiley and Myrlie Beasley Evers Papers, which he said were of “monumental importance” to his research. The primary source correspondence offers a unique look into the mindset of the authors. For instance, Myrlie Evers’ perspective of her husband’s death, as well as the public reception, is detailed in the collection.

Clary encouraged the public to utilize the archives housed at the William F. Winter Building. He noted the ample, well-organized resources that make research easy.

Clary is currently working toward his doctoral degree in History from Vanderbilt University, where he also earned a Master of Arts in History. He also received a Master of Arts in History from the University of South Carolina. Clary previously attended the College of William & Mary for his Bachelor of Arts in History.

The Religion in Mississippi History Research Fellowship seeks to nurture scholars at the beginning of their academic careers to increase their lifelong interest in history and to promote continued academic and public appreciation of the study of religious history in Mississippi. The fellowship is made possible by a grant through Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative.

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