James Meredith

James Meredith's contributions to the Civil Rights Movements By Jemmilynn Lintag Alana Sacop Dana Valiente

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James Meredith is now a civil rights activist and currently residing in Jackson, Mississipi with his second wife.

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James Meredith

James Meredith (1933-    ) James Meredith was born on June 25,1933 in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Meredith filed a complaint with the district court, saying that he had been denied of admission because of his color.  He was the first African-American student to attend the University of Mississippi and graduate from there.  He got the help to attend this school by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy who called in the federal protection to help Meredith register for his classes and also with the assistance of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. After numerous legal battles and appeals, he won the right to attend the University when the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision on Sept. 10, 1962. He graduated in August of 1963 and went on to earn a law degree from Columbia University in 1968. Other Universities that Meredith attended were Columbia Law School, University of Ibadan, Columbia University, and Jackson State University. He initiated a civil-rights march called 'March Against Fear' which began in Tennessee and ended in Mississippi in summer of 1966. Meredith was shot by a sniper but was hospitalized and lived right in time for his march. He wrote a book on 'Three Years in Mississippi' He is an author of 25 publications, including Mississippi: A Volume of Eleven Books, which was published in 1995. In 1997, he presented his papers to the University of Mississippi where they are housed at the J.D. Williams Library. Meredith showed courage in many of his stand-alone efforts and has been accorded significant status in American history.

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In 1962 James Meredith is the first African-American to be admitted to the University of Mississippi.  

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Civil rights leader James Meredith (second from right) leads a voter registration march in South Central Los Angeles in 1966.

Los Angeles Public Library

In June 1966, Meredith began his one-man “March Against Fear” to encourage blacks to stand up to oppression and register to vote.  Only 30 miles from his starting point, he was ambushed in Hernando, Mississippi. Meredith was shot several times but not seriously wounded. Once he recovered, he completed his journey. 4,000 black Mississippians registered to vote during the march.

[jamesmeredith-blog]

James Meredith was escorted by U.S Marshalls due to riots that broke out because of his enrollment.

[historicalmatters]

September 24, 1962: The University of Mississippi agrees to admit James Meredith as the first black university student, sparking more riots.