CNN Interactive's chat with Charles Evers

CNN Interactive hosted a chat Monday with Charles Evers who, like his late brother Medgar, became a civil rights pioneer.

Charles Evers became the NAACP's State Voter Registration Chairman in 1954, and was driven from the state two years later by angry whites. After Medgar's assassination in 1963, Charles took over his brother's leadership role and began drives to register blacks.

Several years later, he was elected as the first black mayor in Mississippi. Evers has also served as an informal adviser to Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Reagan.

Here's a transcript of the online chat.

Moderator: The forum is now open for questions.

Question: What activities are you currently involved in?

Charles Evers: I am trying to sell a book, I am trying to finish a biography .. I am general manager of a radio station now. Occasionally I am doing public speaking, but not much. Just trying to get my book out.

Question: I'm sure you're sick of answering this Question:, but what are your thoughts on ebonics?

Charles Evers: I just try to tell the truth. It is a joke. We haven't learned how to speak English yet in Mississippi. We are very conservative here. Let's finish something first, before we get into something new.

Question: But is it necessary to forget "Black English" in order to learn standard English?

Charles Evers: I never knew we had "Black English." Let's learn we are a multi-racial country. Let's just go with the language we already have.

Question: Why do you think that youth today are not as involved in civil rights as before?

Charles Evers: We don't have the same need as before. Before we were denied all the basic rights: We couldn't ride on the public bus, we couldn't drink out of a fountain, we couldn't register to vote, we couldn't sit in restaurants, but that is all in the past now.

Question: In your book, Stokely Carmichael came across as a coward. Is that what you think of him?

Charles Evers: Same way. He came to Jackson State and got up on the stand and said, "Run over the cops down there. All the white murdering cops are down there." Let us you and I go in front. That is what I told him. They started throwing tear gas on us, throwing rocks and he started to scream and ran away.

Question: What are the main injustices blacks experience in today's society?

Charles Evers: Black on black crimes. That is our greatest injustice. We have always been taught to hate each other -- back to slavery times. And now drive-by shootings, stabbings. I am afraid to walk through certain neighborhoods. Back then I was afraid to walk through white neighborhoods, and now it is some black neighborhoods.

Question: What do you think about the U.S. making all these accusations against other countries on their civil-rights policies?

Charles Evers: I think we should clean up our own house first. We are great supporters of other nations, but we need to clean up our own.

Question: Tell us about your brother, not as a civil-rights leader, but as a human being.

Charles Evers: First of all, he was totally different than me. He was kind and gentle and very sympathetic. But I am not sympathetic, I found over the years that being too nice will bring you heartache and pain. I speak for myself, no one else. Medgar was dedicated to making life better for others. He didn't worry about himself, but I, on the other hand, put myself first.

Question: What do you think about rap music?

Charles Evers: We have a station here, it has its place. I don't like the cursing rap, we have radio rap -- clean rap.

Question: In your book, you didn't seem to like women very much. Is that right? Do you still feel that way?

Charles Evers: That is not true. I do love women... I have seven daughters. I don't believe in marriage, I think it is a lie. Most men I know sneak around and I think it is a joke. I just don't believe in marriage, but I love women. My philosophy is -- if you can't pay, don't play.

Question: Is this your first experience with IRC?

Charles Evers: No, it isn't. This new Internet technology is too high -falooting for me.

Question: I'm curious what Charles Evers thinks of Charles Murray. (Author of "What it means to be a Libertarian"...)

Charles Evers: I don't know a thing about it...

Question: Do you chat often ?

Question: What still needs to be changed in the system to achieve racial equality? Do you really think the two-party system is the best way to go?

Charles Evers: It is the only way to go, the third party just doesn't work. We need to try to learn to respect no matter what color they are, especially black folks, we can't expect white people to love us when we don't love ourselves. We need to take our money and create jobs, and start to build and own things.

Question: So many young African-American men today seem to be angry at this society. Do you have any advice for them?

Charles Evers: Yes. My advice would be if you are that angry -- go to school, get an education, get registered and vote. Form coalitions and change what you don't like. There is no excuse for being mad; get smart.

Question: How do you feel about Farrakhan?

Charles Evers: I think Farrakhan is a 1996 Bilbo. He talks all that black talk, lives in the best white folks neighborhood. You should prove your manhood in your own neighborhood. Farrakhan did the same thing Bilbo did -- he preyed upon their emotions and got them mad.

Question: What do you think of people who favor repealing the Civil Rights Act of 1964? Some people argue that people would get along better without government intervention... No Affirmative Action, etc...

Charles Evers: I think they are crazy as hell, so we won't even talk about them. Black people need to vote and form coalitions with liberal whites and make changes.

Question: What do you attribute your success to?

Charles Evers: Being my own man, not being afraid of anything and not getting in love and going crazy, and not getting on drugs, and most of all, being truthful to myself.

Question: What do you think about todays black leaders? Are they on the right track?

Charles Evers: Do we have any? I was thinking today's black leaders -- we don't need another "a" black leader. Our communities, elected officials, black business leaders, local state houses. Those are our leaders.

Question: Do you feel the South is still embroiled in racism or has a new South been born?

Charles Evers: Still racism all over the country. Good example is what's happening out in California. Never heard ... where a man is tried and not guilty to be brought back and fined for the same offense.

Question: What did you think about the movie "Ghost of Mississippi?"

Charles Evers: It is about 85 to 95 percent factual. We watched pretty close, and it's pretty factual. I'm proud that there was a young white man that had the courage to go after Beckwith 30 years later.

Moderator (dave): Do you support Clinton?

Charles Evers: No. I'm a Republican, because we don't all need to be in the Democratic party. Thirty years ago, there was not a black person in the Democratic party. The Republicans ignore us, and the Democrats take us for granted.

Question: Are you and Merlie Evers Williams Close?

Charles Evers: That's my sister-in-law. We talk, not often, but we talk.

Question: You were such an entrepreneur. Do you see the same opportunities available today, to young black men who had the same education you did?

Charles Evers: Yes. Black men have much more education than I had, I had a support system, but they have better education, opportunities are much greater than when we came along.

Question: It seems as though politics today has been reduced to party chicken fights -- how can you support any such activity from either party?

Charles Evers: Well, I am a Charles Evers Republican. Most blacks are conservative whether you know it or not. We believe in prayer in school and we're against abortion. We should be in both parties and make them what we want them to be. We can't get anywhere pointing fingers, we have to get inside the organization and make it what we want it to be.

Question: What black political organizations are on track today?

Charles Evers: Don't know of any. NAACP could be doing a lot better. SCLC is doing pretty good. None of them are doing what they should be doing. They should be teaching economics and how to become entrepreneurs. How to take care of our families.

Question: How do you feel about restructuring voting districts to place blacks in the majority?

Charles Evers: I'm a great believer in equality. I'm for whatever it takes to put our people at equal footing. But we have to vote.

Question: 2007 -- voting rights renewal?

Charles Evers: It was every 10 years that Congress had to vote to renew the rights of black people to vote, Reagan extended it to every 25 years. It's just a formality, but the Congressional black caucus should get this whole thing ratified.

Question: What do you think about Jesse Jackson and his leadership in the Texaco situation?

Charles Evers: I like Jesse. I think he does good work, but I don't know if I agree. I wish he would make sure that when he makes these deals that they benefit the people that he is supposedly working for.

Question: Do you think W.E.B. DeBois was a futurist, generations ahead of his time?

Charles Evers: Yes. Great man, great thinker. Like me, he was ahead of his time.

Question: Who is your hero? Who do you admire?

Charles Evers: My brother and me.

Question: Can you think of any voting incentives?

Charles Evers: Yes, if you want things to change you go register to vote. In order to make things better for yourself you have to vote.

Question: Do you think that the black electorate is more educated about politics today?

Charles Evers: They may be a little too educated, they're not producing enough for me. They are just loud talking. I don't see them identifying themselves with the problems in their own districts. I don't see them using the power that they have to the advancement of the people that they serve.

Question: What trait do you admire most about your brother?

Charles Evers: His honesty, and his toughness -- his belief in doing the right things for all the people; I wish I was like that.

Question: Some people say integration was the worst thing to happen to the black community. What do you think?

Charles Evers: Not for me. It's good for me. I love being in good luxurious hotels, going into nice restaurants, and not having to say "yes sir" and "yes ma'am," like we used to. You used to not be able to own a radio station in Mississippi. But you can now, I'm sitting in the middle of one.

Question: How is your book selling?

Charles Evers: I hope it's selling well. I'm a capitalist. I haven't checked with my publisher yet, but I hope it's selling well. The book is "Have No Fear."

Question: If you were a lawyer, would you have represented O.J.?

Charles Evers: Oh, yes! I would love to have represented him free. I wouldn't have charged him anything. I would have gone after Nicole's character.

Question: Do you generally like Tony Brown?

Charles Evers: I like Tony. He's all right.

Question: If you could magically change something about the U.S.A., what would it be?

Charles Evers: Racism, bigotry, and hatred. To thy own self be truthful.

Question: I know you regret not being there when Medgar was shot. Is there anything else that you regret in your life?

Charles Evers: I left him when I should have stayed there with him. If I had been there, he wouldn't have gotten shot because I always carry protection. I regret that. That's why I've done all I can to ensure that he didn't die in vain.

Question: You had guns. You ran women and numbers. Do you regret that lifestyle now?

Charles Evers: No.I don't now; that was one way to survive. I did what I could to stay off welfare. The women were turning tricks for nothing, I took them in and made them call girls and helped them to make money and I took care of them.

Question: Your story reminds me a bit of Malcolm X's. What do you think of him?

Charles Evers: I like Malcolm. But I didn't like the way he talked about other races. He was tough, and he believed what he said, but I never met him.

Moderator: Thank you all for joining us. We are sorry Mr. Evers could not answer every Question:. Good night.

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