In 1962, James Meredith made history when he stepped foot on the campus of University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss. At 29 years old he became the first African American to attend the University where he later earned a degree there despite a very public effort to keep him out.
On Feb. 20, 2024 Eastern Michigan University political science professor Barbara Patrick retold the story of Meredith and countless other civil rights stories as part of the monthly Star Lecture series hosted by the EMU's Honors College.
Patrick, who is the head of the Political Science Department at Eastern, discussed the Civil Rights Movement and the strategies organizers used to challenge racial segregation and discrimination in the Deep South.
"Oftentimes, the individuals who we remember and we recognize in history are those who make significant or great contributions that are highly visible," Patrick said. "But there are a lot of people out there who are doing good work who are profiled and who were not recognized."
Meredith's enrollment came eight years after the Brown v. Board of Education court ruling, and five years after The Little Rock Nine were enrolled in a segregated high school, and two years after Ruby Bridges became the first African American child to attend a whites-only elementary school. Meredith also wasn't the first Black American to attend a white university or college, but he still forced change in his home state.
During her presentation, Patrick discussed the dash between birth and death dates found on gravestones, and how it serves as an analogy for their lives.
“I want to talk about things in the context of the dash because at some point we will all leave this earth," Patrick said. "But we will all have that dash, and that dash will tell the story of our lives. Who are you? What was your contribution? What did you hope to leave behind? What was your impact?”
For Meredith, who still lives in Jackson, Mississippi, that dash, whenever it appears, will include his contributions to education and the impact his Ole Miss enrollment would have on future generations of African-American college students.
Meredith began his educational journey at the University of Mississippi after serving in the United States Air Force from 1951 to 1960. He went on to earn his bachelor's degree in political science and later earned a law degree at Columbia University. He has long resisted the label civil rights icon, insisting instead that he was just an American demanding his rights. Now, Meredith, who turned 90 on June 25, 2023, speaks at various venues near his home, sharing an anti-crime message: Obey the 10 Commandments and observe the Golden Rule.
Patrick wrapped up her lecture by encouraging listeners to make waves of their own. When asked by the audience what they could do, Patrick offered suggestions about ways to get involved politically, including contacting government officials and running for office themselves.
