James Meredith Honored With Historical Marker In Mississippi Hometown

Initially, Meredith attended Jackson State College, now Jackson State University, but during his sophomore year, he sued in order to gain admission to the University of Mississippi, breaking its color line

James Meredith, the man who desegregated the campus of the University of Mississippi, commonly referred to as Ole Miss, in 1962, was honored with a historical marker in his hometown of Kosciusko, Mississippi, on Dec. 20. Meredith and media personality Oprah Winfrey are the two most recognized figures ever to call the town their home.

According to The Associated Press, the 91-year-old Meredith watched the ceremony from a city-owned pick-up truck, wearing a red Ole Miss baseball cap.

Approximately 85 people attended the ceremony in the small town, but Meredith was proud to be honored.

“Most important day of my life,” Meredith told the AP. “Over half the people here are my relatives,” he said. “And for relatives to stand out in the cold like they did — that’s something special.”

Meredith still resists being called a civil rights leader.

Initially, he attended Jackson State College, now Jackson State University. Still, during his sophomore year, he sued for admission to the University of Mississippi, breaking its color line when he enrolled and registered.

As was common during the era of Jim Crow, when Meredith registered at Ole Miss, a white mob tried to use violence to intimidate him, which resulted in the U.S. Marshalls protecting Meredith both on and off the school’s Oxford, Mississippi campus.

The historical marker is near the brick house where Meredith, his parents, and some of his siblings lived while he attended school.

The marker also notes that Meredith was shot in 1966 during the “March Against Fear,” a walk from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi, an effort to encourage Black voters to register across the South.

The marker was created by Fannie Lou Hamer, a Professor of Rhetorical Studies at Florida State University, Davis Houck, and his students to preserve Meredith’s story and legacy in his hometown.

According to Kosciusko Mayor Tim Kyle, Meredith’s actions changed the course of history.

“He’s a man whose courage profoundly altered the course of history,” Kyle told the AP.

According to the Mississippi Link, in his speech, Kyle sought to honor the ideals that James Meredith represents, as he told the crowd.

“It was a time when a simple act of pursuing an education became an extraordinary act of defiance, resilience and hope. In 1962, James Meredith became the first Black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi, breaking down the barriers of segregation. He did not seek fame or recognition. He sought to challenge an unjust system that denied him basic rights and declare that inequality and discrimination have no place in education, law, or society. His courage in the struggle he endured opened doors once shut by prejudice and hatred. He reminds us that progress is neither swift nor guaranteed but requires unwavering dedication and faith.”

Kyle concluded, “Today, as we dedicate this marker, we not only honor James Meredith, but we also honor the ideals that he represents, which is courage, resilience, justice, and the belief that all men are equal under God.”