Pelham Dedicates Plaque To Civil Rights Leader Murdered By KKK

PELHAM, NY — Michael “Mickey” Schwerner made a lasting impact on history. Now, in addition to a street named after him, the Pelham Manor HS graduate will have a permanent honor in his hometown.

A plaque recognizing the civil rights voting activist was dedicated on Monday at the corner of Harmon and Fifth Avenues in Pelham Village on the newly named Michael Schwerner Way. The monument includes a timeline of key events in the civil rights leader's life, including the day his family moved to Pelham, the day he was murdered by Ku Klux Klan Members in Mississippi and the date he was honored posthumously with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama.

Schwerner grew up in Pelham and graduated from PMHS in 1957. He joined the Congress of Racial Equality in 1963 and helped organize Freedom Summer in Mississippi. His work on voting rights would eventually lead to his death at age 24 at the hands of avowed racists in 1964.

Two PMHS students are credited with inspiring the dedication ceremony attended by local and county officials. Unveiling the memorial, students Jamie Burke and Nevan Malwana said their hope is that as people walk by the plaque, they will remember there's a “Mickey Schwerner — an activist in all of us.”