Caroline Beach
On Oct. 1, 1962, James Howard Meredith etched his story in history by becoming the first African-American student to enroll in the University of Mississippi. Now, 60 years later, the City of Oxford is honoring his legacy with a resolution that declares Oct. 1 James Meredith Day.
The resolution was passed in a Board of Aldermen meeting on Sept. 20. It pays homage to the path Meredith paved for inclusivity at the university by “officially recognizing and memorializing the day in 1962 when James Meredith became the first African American student to attend the University of Mississippi.”
Born on June 25, 1933, in Kosciusko, Miss., Meredith was raised on his family’s farm before he began his academic journey at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg, Fla. After graduating in 1951, Meredith enlisted and served in the U.S. Air Force for nine years.
He returned home after serving his country and attended Jackson State College from 1960 to 1961. He applied for admission to the University of Mississippi in January 1961.
The state of Mississippi pushed back against Meredith, sending a telegram that denied his admission, which prompted Meredith to file a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination against the university with the help of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Meredith took the university to court and finally, on Sept. 10, 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Meredith be allowed to enroll as a student.
Riots incited by a segregationist mob broke out on campus on the evening of Sept. 30, 1962, resulting in two deaths, 206 injuries and 200 arrests.
Despite the retaliation, Meredith registered for classes the following day, Oct. 1, 1962, and began his academic journey that would take him all the way to earning an LL.B. from Columbia Law School in 1968. Meredith would go on to establish a legacy of activism and inclusivity that would impact subsequent generations.
Under the proclamation of the City of Oxford, Oct. 1 will stand as an annual testament to the activist who changed the course of the university’s history.
“James Howard Meredith – a bold and compassionate civil rights activist, businessman, politician, author, changemaker, fearless leader, trailblazer and visionary – has forever left his mark on the University of Mississippi and the City of Oxford, Mississippi leaving a legacy of inspiring others to dream big, never give up and fight for their individual rights,” the resolution stated.
Alderman Kesha Howell Atkinson read the resolution to the public at the Gertrude C. Ford Center on Sept. 28 as a part of the 60th anniversary of Meredith’s integration.
