James Meredith's Page

My name is James Howard Meredith. I was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi on June 25, 1933. Here, I was raised on a farm with nine brothers and sisters. My first real experience being involved with racial inequality occurred while I was riding the train from Chicago with my brother. When the train had arrived in Memphis, Tennessee, I was ordered to move to the back of the crowded train. There I was then forced to stand for the remainder of my trip back home. From that point forward, my goal was to dedicate my life ensuring equal treatment for African Americans. 

Education

After spending nine years in the Air Force, I enrolled into an all black school - Jackson State College. In 1962, I became the first black student to enroll into the University of Mississippi. In 1963, I graduated with a degree in political science. I then went on to receive my master's degree in economics from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. I also received a degree in law from Columbia University in 1968.

Profession

Along with being a dedicated Civil Rights Activist, I spent about nine years in the U.S. Air force after attending high school where I rose to the rank of staff Sargent. From 1889-1891, I also served as a domestic adviser to U.S. Senator Jesse Helms. Within my lifetime, I have published 16 books, nine booklets, and eight video movies. I am also the President of the Meredith Institute, Inc. 

Organizations & Memberships

I was the President of the Meredith Institution Inc. which is an organization that focuses on Black Americans the importance of knowing how to read, write, and speak the English language. I began a lone march which claimed the title "March Against Fear" from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi. I began the march in order to encourage vote registration for African Americans in the south. Three years later, I continued the march on June 6, 1966 which led to the Black Power Movement. 

Signature Quote

"I had known that I belonged to a group that was distinctly different from at least one other group, but until I was fifteen I did not know that my group was supposed to be the inferior one. Since then I have felt a personal responsibility to change the status of my group. There is no way for one Black to change his basic status without first changing that of all Blacks. The greatest hope for a major change in the basic status of African Americans is to convince the American whites that it is in their best interest."

http://www.jamesmeredithbooks.com/about.html

Other Accomplishments

I wrote and published many pieces of writing, but my most famous piece was my personal narrative Three Years in Mississippi. This book was about my own personal account of becoming the first African American student to enroll into the University of Mississippi and also my struggles with facing racial inequality. 

• New York Times Book Review: "A strong man has written a great personal history. Although some people might prefer a more emotional presentation, Mr. Meredith almost achieves the position of the impersonal historian by relying mainly on verbatim and usually complete quotations from the documents in the case. This book is for readers of all ages as an inspiration to work for what is right despite 'impossible' obstacles."

My source: http://www.jamesmeredithbooks.com/books_ThreeYears.cfm

Other sources:

• http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/james-meredith-shot
• http://www.biography.com/people/james-meredith-9406314
• http://mlkkpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_meredith_james_howard_1933/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Meredith