Tragedy and Triumph: The Lives of the Gibbs-Green Survivors
Vernon Steve Weakley was born on a cold and snowy night on December 7, 1950, in Chicago, Illinois. When he was young, his mother relocated him, his two brothers and little sister to Jackson, Mississippi. And, there, in the supercharged racial climate of the Deep South, he was influenced, both positively and negatively, and raised to adulthood.
In addition to the love, guidance and spiritual foundation provided by his mother, his grandparents played a major role in his upbringing. His parents and the many experiences he encountered in Mississippi influenced the way he perceived the world and the people around him. His mother and grandparents gave him the strength necessary to survive the life-threatening trials and racial tribulations that he endured while growing up in his beloved home state.
Weakley is an alumnus of Jackson State University and a graduate of the University of Houston. Vernon was one of the students shot in the unfortunate incident at Jackson State on the night of May 14, 1970, and his nonfiction book, Standing at the Edge of Madness, is a national bestseller and is an eyewitness account of the shootings and murder of innocent college students that night at Jackson State.
Mr. Weakley works to make sure that his readers and audiences understand that the Gibbs-Green atrocities were boldly carried out by rogue members of the most feared law enforcement agency of that period, the Mississippi Highway Patrol. At the same time, the shootings at Jackson State made him into the successful man he is today. What the Devil meant for bad, the Heavenly Father and his Lord and personal savior, Jesus Christ, turned into good!
His books and numerous short stories about the police shootings at Jackson State have found great success and brought him acclaim throughout America. He has had major book signings in Washington, D.C., New York, New Jersey, Atlanta, Indiana, Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Mississippi, and all across America.
Vernon Weakley has written several other acclaimed books such as The History of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. and Fear No Evil. He is the Founder and CEO of a successful book publishing company, Zworldnet Publishing, which has published books for several up-and-coming young authors.
For his outstanding literary work, Mr. Weakley has received many awards and recognitions, and he has had many other life achievements. Among his many accomplishments and tremendous meritorious accomplishments in the literary field, he was recognized by the Congressional Black Caucus as an outstanding author with a powerful, positive message for the world and has been a featured author at several Congressional Black Caucus Expos in Washington, D.C.
Vernon Weakley is also a legendary member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Jackson State University, Upsilon Epsilon (YE) Chapter, and he is currently an active member of Beta Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in Jackson. He received the prestigious “Omega Man of the Year” award for two consecutive years in the Rho Beta Beta Chapter in Houston, Texas. He has also served as the International History Chairman of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and has served in several District-level chairmanships in Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in the 9th District.
Weakley was the Keynote Speaker for the Georgia NAACP’s prestigious Annual Freedom Fund Banquet. Over the years, Mr. Weakley has tirelessly worked to advance the cause of the NAACP. For his superb work with the NAACP, he received a meritorious award from that well known, national civil rights organization.
As a result of a strong desire to change his life and renew his relationship with God, Weakley moved to Houston, Texas, and, in 2011, he moved back to Jackson, where he met and married the love of his life, Kimyona Morgan.
Mr. Weakley is a successful motivational speaker. In his writings, speeches and public life, Mr. Weakley urges his readers and audience to continue to speak out against racism and racial injustice wherever it may be. His fear is that younger people coming on the scene long after he has departed this world will not deeply appreciate, protect and value the hard fought gains that were paid for in blood, death and suffering by others like Martin Luther King, Jr., Phillip Gibbs, and James Green.
Mr. Weakley is now happily retired from the U.S. Treasury Department, where he was employed for over twenty four years. He retired with over 34 years of sterling government service from the Internal Revenue Service, and he was a highly successful and decorated supervisor with that agency for over 18 years.
Additionally, Weakley was an active, long-time member of the Association for the Improvement of Minorities, and he personally has funded several college scholarships each year for underprivileged high school seniors in Texas and Mississippi.
He is the President/Owner/CEO of the successful Thompson/Weakley Music Publishing Company, Mississippi-based Omega Records Inc., and VSW Publishing for 34 years. He is also the co-owner of Toval/Weakley Records in Houston, Texas, and was a successful record producer with internationally known Stax Records. Mr. Weakley has had several of his songs featured in major movie sound tracks such as New Jack City, starring internationally known film star, Wesley Snipes, and Above The Rim, starring the late Tupac Shakur. Weakley has hit songs (Now and Forever and Let Me Be Your Secret Lover) from his previous career as a nationally known singer that have been re-released internationally.
Weakley is the founding Chairman of the Board of Directors for Aspire Community Uplift Foundation, an IRS approved 501c3 and a State of Mississippi certified nonprofit that assists the underserved and poor throughout America. Mr. Weakley is the founding Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Lanier Historical Museum and Arts Guild, Inc., dedicated to promoting the historical accomplishments of Lanier High School in Jackson.
While Mr. Weakley’s life accomplishments are indeed many and extraordinary, he is most proud of his faith, his family, (his loving and beautiful wife Kimyona, daughter Shinica, sons TK and Kaliv, his beloved grandkids Langston, Caden, Knoah, Rhyan, Ava and Nicole) and the fact that he is a born-again Christian.