Beloved activist who worked with MLK dies in Mississippi house fire, officials say
A beloved activist has died after a fire tore through her Mississippi home early Tuesday, Jan. 3, according to Jackson fire officials.
Authorities identified the victim as Ineva May-Pittman, 88, a longtime community activist who spent her life championing civil and human rights for Black Americans alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers and others, according to the NAACP of Jackson.
Crews responded to Inwood Drive around 3 a.m. Tuesday to find the home “engulfed in flames,” WLBT and WAPT reported, citing the city’s fire department.
A woman was found inside and pronounced dead at the scene, Assistant Fire Chief Patrick Armon told McClatchy News. Armon said the home was “a total loss” and that no one else was there when the blaze started.
Additional details about the fire weren’t immediately available.
May-Pittman was remembered as an engaged citizen who worked with various civic and civil rights groups in Jackson, WAPT reported. She was a former teacher and political activist known for her deep commitment to service.
“Saddened to hear the news regarding the passing of Mrs. Ineva May-Pittman due to a house fire last night,” Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones wrote on Twitter. “She was the epitome of a leader in civil and human rights throughout our community, state and country. May God be with her family and the many lives she touched.”
Tributes for the late activist flooded social media.
“Mrs. Pittman was a champion for our cause and a trailblazer in this community,” the NAACP’s Jackson branch said in a statement posted to Facebook. “She will be truly missed, but her legacy will live on.”
“My neighborhood, our community, and Jackson’s political scene will not be the same without her,” another resident wrote on Facebook.
Authorities said they’re actively investigating the cause of the fire.
This story was originally published January 3, 2023 at 5:28 PM with the headline "Beloved activist who worked with MLK dies in Mississippi house fire, officials say."