James Meredith and the University of Mississippi’s Integration

2745 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay on segregation in the south

James Meredith and the University of Mississippi’s Integration When a person presently looks at university school systems, one never imagines the struggle to obtain such diverse campuses. With Caucasians, Asians, Latinos, and African Americans all willing and able to attend any institution, it is difficult now to envision a world where, because of one’s skin color, a person is denied university acceptance. In actuality, this world existed only fifty years ago. In a time of extreme racial discrimination, African Americans fought and struggled toward one of many goals: to integrate schools. As a pioneer in the South, a man named James Meredith took a courageous step by applying to the University of Mississippi, an all white university. After overcoming many legal and social obstacles, the University of Mississippi’s integration sent positive effects rippling among universities across the nation. As a native Mississippian, James Meredith honestly lived and worked all of his life. After serving nine years in the United States Air Force, Meredith wholeheartedly absorbed John F. Kennedy’s ideals on “civil rights” and decided to apply to the University of Mississippi (Howard 1060). Upon applying, Meredith knew that if accepted, he would be the first African American student to attend the University of Mississippi. Deep in the heart of the South, the state of Mississippi prided itself on its all white campuses and resistence toward integration. Little did they know that James Meredith, an uprising civil rights activist, would pull a racial chord in the university that would change it for lifetimes to come. From past observations, acceptance into “Ole Miss” appeared impossible for an African American. With “[f]our known... ... middle of paper ... ...Sept. 1962: 1. Buckley, Thomas. “Tear Gas and Sticks Repel Wild Student Charges.” New York Times 1 Oct. 1962: 23. Cohodas, Nadine. “James Meredith and the Integration of Ole Miss.” The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education 16 (Summer, 1997): 112-22. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=1077-3711%28199722%290%3A16%3C112%3AJMATIO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-W Howard, William L.. “Meredith, James Howard.” The African American Encyclopedia. 1993. “Meredith’s Fight for Admission to University Spans 16 Months.” New York Times 1 Oct. 1962: 25. “Mississippi Rejoins the Union.” New York Times 1 Oct 1962: 30. Sitton, Claude. “Negro At Mississippi U. As Barnett Yields; 3 Dead In Campus Riot, 6 Marshals Shot; Guardsmen Move In; Kennedy Makes Plea.” New York Times 1 Oct. 1962: 1. Smith, Hendrick. “Johnson Is Fined.” New York Times 30 Sept. 1962: 1.

Show More
Related

  • Book Review of The Strange Career of Jim Crow

    2071 Words  | 5 Pages

    Woodward’s The Strange Career of Jim Crow immediately became an influential work both in the academic and real worlds because of the dramatic events that coincided with the book’s publication and subsequent revisions. It was inspired from a series of lectures that Woodward delivered at the University of Virginia in 1954 on the Jim Crow policies that the South had reverted to in order to deal with the dynamics of its Negro population. The original publication debuted in 1955, just prior to the explosive events that would occur as part of the civil rights movement climax. Because of these developments in less than a decade, the book’s topic and audience had drastically changed in regard to the times surrounding it. Woodward, realizing the fluidity of history in context with the age, printed a second edition of the book in 1966 to “take advantage of the new perspective the additional years provide” and “to add a brief account of the main developments in ...

    Read More

  • The Role of HBCUs in American Society

    859 Words  | 2 Pages

    For almost two hundred years, Historically Black Colleges and Universities or HBCUs have played a pivotal role in the education of African-American people, and negro people internationally. These schools have provided the majority of black college graduates at the Graduate and Post-Graduate level; schools such as Hampton University, Morehouse University, Spellman University and Howard University are four universities at the forefront of the advanced education of blacks. For sometime there has been a discussion on whether or not these institutes should remain in existence or if they are just another form of racism. There were also concerning the quality of education provided at these institutions. In my opinion, from the evidence provided in our own world today, HBCUs are very important and significant in the education of black people throughout the nation, and are essential to our society.

    Read More

  • “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space” by Brent Staples

    1433 Words  | 3 Pages

    Green, Makiah. “I’m a Scholar, Not a Criminal: The Plight of Black Students at USC.”

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Anne Moody's Coming Of Age In Mississippi

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anne Moody’s memoir, Coming of Age in Mississippi, is an influential insight into the existence of a young girl growing up in the South during the Civil-Rights Movement. Moody’s book records her coming of age as a woman, and possibly more significantly, it chronicles her coming of age as a politically active Negro woman. She is faced with countless problems dealing with the racism and threat of the South as a poor African American female. Her childhood and early years in school set up groundwork for her racial consciousness. Moody assembled that foundation as she went to college and scatter the seeds of political activism. During her later years in college, Moody became active in numerous organizations devoted to creating changes to the civil rights of her people. These actions ultimately led to her disillusionment with the success of the movement, despite her constant action. These factors have contributed in shaping her attitude towards race and her skepticism about fundamental change in society.

    Read More

  • Ole Miss vs University of Mississippi

    1028 Words  | 3 Pages

    The University of Mississippi is an institution of higher learning just as any of the 629 public 4- year universities in the United States. Due to the location of the university, the school faces criticism and publicity for its unconscious efforts and decisions to uphold its southern heritage. Though there were attempts to modernize the school, “Ole Miss” still holds the image of the Old South. The decisions and actions of supporters of the school’s traditions are weighing heavily on the universities inability to progress. There is a difference in the meanings of certain symbols based on a person’s understanding, genetic make-up, cultural background and race. Though the university is upholding its traditional ways of learning and functioning, change is somewhat required by society. “. The University of Mississippi does uphold a traditional way of life within the name, “Ole Miss”, and other symbols of racial segregation, confederacy and white superiority. The University of Mississippi will be seen as inferior to other universities because of its faithfulness to “Ole Miss” and upholding southern traditions. The traditions of the University should be dealt away with or altered, if not, the traditions of the University will continuously hold an “open wound”. In order to uphold the South’s “southern identity”, the use of symbol as traditions at the University of Mississippi preserve a way of life that is interchangeable with white identity.

    Read More

  • HBCUs: Relevance in 21st Century

    2163 Words  | 5 Pages

    Imagine this; the year is 1836. You are a 17-year-old student interested in learning more about the world around you; however, such an opportunity won’t come your way because you are black. Due to this fact you have no hope of furthering your education past the reading, writing, and arithmetic their slave masters taught your parents. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. The minds of many African American’s go to waste due to individual ignorance of their people and thus of themselves. Historically Black Colleges and Universities were put into effect to educate the black mind and eliminate the ignorance. The discussion of whether Historically Black Colleges and Universities are still necessary in the 21st century has taken place in recent years. Within the discussion many debate that due to the fact that the world is no longer like it was in the 1800’s, the time period in which Historically Black Colleges and Universities were created, the purpose of them no longer exists. However, the cultural significance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities seems to be overlooked by those who argue their importance and relevance in a time where blacks have the option of attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs). The purpose and grounds on which Historically Black Colleges and Universities were developed are still being served. The need to increase efforts to not only rouse, but support Historically Black Colleges and Universities is necessary now more than ever in order to preserve our past, fulfill the purpose of our present, and ensure our future.

    Read More

  • James Meredith's Letter To The University Of Mississippi

    965 Words  | 2 Pages

    James Meredith, an African American student, was accepted into the University of Mississippi in the early year of 1962. After the realization of Meredith being African American, his acceptance was rejected immediately. During the year of 1962, Mississippi was still moving away from the segregation era. In order for Meredith to be accepted into the University of Mississippi, the Supreme Court would have to make a direct order to do so. James Meredith, was not welcomed by the state of Mississippi, nor the students of the University.

    Read More

  • Essay On HBCU

    2238 Words  | 5 Pages

    Clearly, HBCUs provide several benefits to African-American students. Not only have they helped to combat the cycle of discrimination that minority students experienced before the civil rights initiatives of the 1960s, but they strive to provide a warm, supportive and inclusive academic environment that addresses African-American college students as a whole person. Additionally, HBCUs are increasing their efforts to ensure that higher education is accessible, affordable and achievable for individuals with unique socioeconomic challenges. Despite obstacles, historically Black institutions will continue to play a vital and significant role in the fabric of higher education.

    Read More

  • Identifying Strategies to Improve African American College Student Retention and Graduation Rates

    1677 Words  | 4 Pages

    As previously stated, it appears there are persistant barriers present that hinder enrollment, retention, and rate of graduation for African Americans in higher education. It is imperative that educational concerns for African Americans are addressed at all levels, but it is particularly important at the post secondary stage. Higher levels of education are associated with both lower unemployment rates and a higher income. If...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of James Meredith Annihilating The Walls Of Segregation

    1049 Words  | 3 Pages

    The early 1960s, a time that was on the brink of revolutionizing the United States, as Americans thought they knew it. This was a time of great inequality and segregation amongst White-Americans and African-Americans. The fight for equality and rights for Americans was at the height. One university, the University Mississippi also known as Ole Miss, strong rooted in the traditional heritage of the “Old South” the University was very strict they have never admitted an African American student until 1962, James Meredith. James Meredith’s admission to the University of Mississippi served as a catalyst not only for himself in life, but for the African American community and furthering prosperity

    Read More

  • Activism Of Benjamin Elijah Mays

    977 Words  | 2 Pages

    For my Black Georgian assignment, I will be discussing the life and activism of one African American minister, educator, leading black voice, and former Morehouse College President, Benjamin Elijah Mays. Mays was an African American born into a new generation of freedom. However, throughout his life, he would experience the hardships and hindrances known to affect the black community in the 1890’s – 1900’s. Mays served his community as a leading advocate for racial equality, ending segregation, and the strengthening of young black men (and women) in their quest for equality. This paper aims to describe the life, works, views, actions, and influence that Benjamin Mays exhibited.

    Read More

  • Black History Importance

    1357 Words  | 3 Pages

    The time has come again to celebrate the achievements of all black men and women who have chipped in to form the Black society. There are television programs about the African Queens and Kings who never set sail for America, but are acknowledged as the pillars of our identity. In addition, our black school children finally get to hear about the history of their ancestors instead of hearing about Columbus and the founding of America. The great founding of America briefly includes the slavery period and the Antebellum south, but readily excludes both black men and women, such as George Washington Carver, Langston Hughes, and Mary Bethune. These men and women have contributed greatly to American society. However, many of us only know brief histories regarding these excellent black men and women, because many of our teachers have posters with brief synopses describing the achievements of such men and women. The Black students at this University need to realize that the accomplishments of African Americans cannot be limited to one month per year, but should be recognized everyday of every year both in our schools and in our homes.

    Read More

  • The Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s

    1783 Words  | 4 Pages

    Robinson, A. and Sullivan, P(Eds.). (1991). New Directions in Civil Rights Studies. Virginia: Rectors and Visitors of the University Press of Virginia.

    Read More

  • Perkins Led The Way Summary

    1136 Words  | 3 Pages

    Merrimon Cuninggim was the dean of Perkins School of Theology who successfully integrated Perkins by admitting five black students. In Merrimon Cuninggim’s book, “Perkins Led the Way: the story of desegregation at Southern Methodist University,” he describes the collaborative method that was used to settle issues that the presence of black students will raise. Rather than giving them a list of rules of what they could and could not do like the students expected, as he states in his speech at an Alumni convention, the students and the dean would discuss concerns, and he would provide advice that the students may or may not

    Read More

  • Walter Royal Davis Library Case Study

    458 Words  | 1 Pages

    Yet, these policies were controversial among the university’s population. For example, UNC was dealing with issues regarding desegregation and integration of larger percentages of minority students into UNC. Chapel Hill was lagging behind in its goal to raise the percentage of minority students to 10.6% over the next few years as mandated by the State Government (Parker, 1984a, 1). There were plans throughout the university to make campus more integrated for black and white students. One of these decisions was to have a certain percentage of black and white students in all dorms. At that time, most blacks lived in dorms on South Campus, but there were plans to remedy this by forcing white students to live in black dorms and black students to live in white dorms. Yet, not all students were fond of this idea. The Campus Y’s People Against Racism had a meeting where the chairperson stated that it would be unfair to minorities. Sibby Anderson said, “I only see dorm integration as a way that forces minorities to make a compromise” (Parker, 1984b, 1). On the other hand, the university reactions committee was in the progress of another, yet similar, idea. It was proposed that students could volunteer to live with students of other cultures, not race (Pipkin, 1984, p. 1). The concept of students living with people from other countries was going to expand the campus diversity and thought throughout the students. “If you know there are more cultures on this campus than black and white, and there are, and you set it up racially, it’s got to be for political purposes.” Sherrod Banks, the president of the Black Student Movement stated, agreeing that integration should be cultural rather than racial. Segregation was seen as two cultures interacting with each other, rather than two separate races. (Lucas, 1984,

    Read More

More about James Meredith and the University of Mississippi’s Integration

Open Document