Remembering Mayor Evans
Published 9:48 am Monday, September 23, 2024
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Jenney Egertson had been going back and forth on whether she would help former Selma Mayor George Evans tell his story in book form.
Would she write the book or turn him down? Fate would help make the decision.
One evening, she was watching the movie “Selma” which was filmed in Selma, produced by Oprah Winfrey and debuted shortly before the 50th anniversary of the historical march. When it got to the part that focused on the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that killed four young girls, the phone rang.
When she picked up, Evans was on the other end.
“So when I told him that, we both just said at the same time, ‘Well, maybe it was meant to be,’” Egertson said told the crowd at Lunch at the Library Thursday afternoon. “You know, we decided we were just going to get started. And chapter one was going to be how we met.”
The collaboration would continue for the next three years over Zoom calls and over a few in-person visits. The finished product is the book titled “Selma’s Mayor: Lessons Learned from the Queen City’s Native Son.”
During the Lunch at the Library event held at the Selma-Dallas County Public Library, Egertson was joined by Evans’ wife, Jeannie, and sons, Byron and Patrick. Egertson and Jeannie signed books that were bought during the event.
Jeannie didn’t have much interaction with Egertson at that time.
“We’ve met before when George and Jenney were on Zoom talking. It took them three years to write this book. So from time to time on Zoom and visiting at other times, I would meet her, but not like I’ve been with her this week,” Jeannie said. “In those three years, I would come in front of the computer or the phone and say, ‘Hi, Jenney,’ and all of that. And then she and George would continue to write and talk about the book.”
Jeannie said she appreciated everyone who came out for the book signing.
“I appreciate you coming today, and I appreciate your support. And I know George does, too,” Jeannie said.
Egertson said she hoped to be doing this book, which began on Monday night at Reflections Coffee Shoppe. Instead, the Mayor passed away in May 2023, during a time when she had planned to come to Selma to discuss the book. However, the project fell into her lap to finish.
“I knew it would be tricky without him standing next to me. Why would readers trust a white woman’s telling of a black reader’s story?” Egertson said. “When I told him that and I told him over and over, he said, ‘That doesn’t concern me.’ He says, ‘We’re going to move forward no matter what.’
“I knew in Minneapolis there’s a lot of writers, and together, we would turn George Evans’ story into the most beautiful, readable book I knew how to produce. I might not have the Mayor at my side anymore, but I was not alone. I would move forward.”
Jeannie said she met George, who was going to college in Dodge City, Kansas, through a family that moved from Dodge City to Wichita, Kansas. However, George got set up on dates with Jeannie and another young woman.
“So that weekend, he came. He went out with both of us,” Jeannie said, evoking a laugh from the audience,” Jeannie said. “Friday night, he took this girl out. He said he didn’t like her because she talked too much. George and I went out on a Sunday afternoon to an ice cream parlor…
“And we both kind of hit it off. And so shortly after that, George graduated. I graduated, and he gave me an engagement ring. I met him in March. He gave me the engagement ring in June. And we got married on Aug. 26. “
Mayor Evans also had a habit of speeding. Patrick Evans shared one story where he was pulled over on his way to a basketball game in Jackson, Mississippi. Patrick said his father always wanted to be on time to anything he did, and he would speed to help make sure he got there on time. During the trip, he got pulled over.
“And the police officer said, ‘Hey, Mr. Evans, how are you? I’ve been sitting down here waiting on you,’” Patrick said of the exchange. “My dad replied to him, ‘Well, I got here as fast as I could.’ He didn’t get a ticket.”
Patrick also talked about times where his father would have a hard day as superintendent, from people who “weren’t on his team.” Patrick and his brother, Joe, encouraged him to fight back and not take it. However, Evans took the high road, and it eventually paid off down the road.
During one of the last golf tournaments they had, Patrick witnessed something he couldn’t believe.
“I was shocked that they even came and signed up to play in the tournament,” Patrick said. “They pulled him to the side and they were like, ‘Hey man, I want to apologize to you. You were right and you did a good job.’ That showed me a lot about his leadership and about his connection with the divine nature that he had.”
Egertson had times where she wanted to give up, but she kept hearing the Mayor’s voice encouraging her to keep fighting.
“Thank you, Mayor. We did it,” Egertson said.
