Myrlie Evers-Williams has been selected to deliver the invocation at the inauguration of President Barack Obama on Jan. 21 in Washington.
The White House made the announcement Jan. 8.
Evers-Williams, the widow of slain civil rights activist Medgar Evers, is presently Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at Alcorn State University in Lorman.
Evers-Williams served as the chairwoman of the NAACP from 1995 to 1998. She was honored by the Mississippi Legislature in 2011 for her contributions to civil rights and race relations and her accomplishments in publishing and business.
The president, in a statement, said, "Vice President Biden and I are honored that Myrlie Evers-Williams and Rev. Louie Giglio will participate in the Inaugural ceremony. Their voices have inspired many people across this great nation within the faith community and beyond. Their careers reflect the ideals that the Vice President and I continue to pursue for all Americans – justice, equality, and opportunity."
Giglio will deliver the benediction.
