James+Meredith+and+Ole+Miss

[|1] //Supporters of Meredith marching//

[|2] //James Meredith// James Meredith was born on June 25, 1933, near Kosciusko, Mississippi. He became very well known as the first African American to attend the University of Mississippi. Being the intelligent man he was, Meredith played a hugely important role in the civil rights movement. He was born into a family of thirteen brothers and sisters and grew up with no money. In 1951 he enlisted in the United States Air Force. Meredith spent nine years in the air force and was discharged a staff sergeant in summer 1960. On January 21, 1961, Meredith wrote the University of Mississippi and application letter which sparked an eighteen month legal battle. Previous predecessors had tried similar things such as attending a summer program at Oxford, but he ended up being sent to a mental institution for even trying such a thing. In late September Kennedy ordered federal troops and Justice Department officials to enforce the court order admitting Meredith to school. This stirred up so much conflict that local students actually started a riot which resulted in 2 deaths, 175 injuries, and 212 arrests. He had to be escorted to each and every class by government officials because they were afraid of violent outbreaks toward James. Meredith survived all the threats and harassment to graduate in August 1963. He then went on to take graduate courses in Nigeria at the University of Ibadan. After that he studied American social policies and became heavily engaged in local politics. Meredith played a very big role in the civil rights movement by just wanting the same kind of education that was offered to white people. This proved to be quite the controversy; white students were outraged and shocked that he was admitted into the college. He became an example and a role model for the African American youth to get a proper education.