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Who Is James Meredith's Integration Of The University Of Mississippi?

950 Words4 Pages

Civil Rights essay
Throughout American history, when a certain person embarks on a feat never before accomplished by someone of their gender or race it is often understood that they will incur hatred from those who wish to “put them in their place.” Thus is the case of James Meredith and his integration of the University of Mississippi. As I imagine myself as James Meredith, the first question that comes to my mind is: why would one endure a long legal process just to transfer to a school where you were sure to face persecution from racist whites? I believe that at the heart of James Meredith’s decision was his desire to assert his full rights as an American citizen. He knew that the University of Mississippi was the flagship university in …show more content…

But, James Meredith have to be very prudent in his methods of going about gaining entrance to the University of Mississippi because Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett wanted nothing more than to protect the “traditional way of life in the south.” After a long battle, a court order allowed Mr. Meredith to attend the school. However, he was personally turned away from enrolling by the governor twice. Governor Barnett’s actions did not stop Mr. Meredith from continuing to try and enroll. I figure that James Meredith realized if he was going to successfully enroll, he must put the national government in a position where they must protect him. While I do believe that the United States Government and President John F. Kennedy wanted Mr. Meredith to attend the University of Mississippi, it is no secret that the president also wanted to avoid direct involvement and anger southern voters. After some time, the president realized that he would have to send in Federal Marshalls to assist Mr. Meredith with his enrollment. As many have called it the “Last Battle of the Civil War” was fought between Mississippians and the government in front of the Lyceum building James Meredith was said to enroll at the next day. Sometime during this riot, it must have crossed Mr. Meredith’s mind if it was worth the violence and death that ensued just so he …show more content…

If I were an African American in the segregated south, I believe that I would be particularly bothered by the “Separate but equal” facilities that were truthfully not equal. Furthermore, I believe I would have felt abandoned by state leaders who wanted African-Americans to live life as inferior to whites. I would also have been inspired by stories of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., James Meredith, the Little Rock 9, and countless other courageous men and women who proved that the evils of segregation can be overcome by persistent non-violent protest. I would hope that hearing stories of the bravery of such individuals would encourage myself to seek to assert my rights in a peaceful

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