Justice in Mississippi

Having grown up in Mississippi, I must admit that I tend to shrink in my chair a little when the topics of racism, discrimination, and civil rights are brought up. I grew up in a culture proud of the Confederate Flag, and never truly understood the negative connotations that it conjures up until I came to college.

Taking this class has opened my eyes even more to not only the hardships faced by African Americans in the rural South, but to the great triumph and justice that has slowly, but surely, trickled down to that area.

To delve a little deeper into a story that has greatly impacted the culture in which I grew up, I'd like to take a closer look at James Meredith, the first African American to attend the University of Mississippi... also known as Ole Miss, the land of Colonel Rebel.

Today, James Howard Meredith is known as a Civil Rights movement figure, a writer, and political advisor, but his journey had an exceptionally difficult beginning.

After hearing President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address, Meredith decided to exercise his constitutional rights and to apply for schooling at Ole Miss. His first attempts for enrollment were rejected, when finally legal action ruled that Meredith had every right to enroll in the university. Governor Ross Barnett made one last effort to prevent Meredith from admission, but his attempt proved futile, and Meredith became the first African American student at Ole Miss on October 1, 1962.

In his time at Ole Miss, Meredith faced harsh discrimination, was escorted to class by guards and through tunnels, endured alienation and harassment, and sparked continuous rioting on campus. Despite the aversive behavior against him, James Meredith successfully completed two semesters of school at Ole Miss, and graduated on August 18, 1963 with a political science degree.

I have multiple friends who are students at Ole Miss, and I have to wonder if they often consider the great stride for justice and equality that Meredith made 50 years ago. As a native of that culture, I am forever grateful for his bravery and determination, as it is individuals like him who have made the South a better place.