James Howard Meredith (born June 25, 1933) is a trailblazer in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1962, he became the first black student admitted to the University of Mississippi, following an intense legal battle in the federal courts. In 1966, Meredith planned a solo 220-mile March Against Fear from Memphis, Tennessee, to Jackson, Mississippi to highlight continuing racism in the South and encourage voter registration after passage of the Voting Rights Act. The second day, he was shot by a white gunman and suffered numerous wounds. Leaders of major organizations vowed to complete the march in his name after he was taken to the hospital. During his recovery, more people from across the country became involved as marchers. Meredith rejoined the march. When he and other leaders entered Jackson on June 26, they were leading an estimated 15,000 marchers in what was the largest Civil Rights march in Mississippi.

On recto: manuscript title.
On verso: artist's credit stamp, manuscript title, newspaper stamp and typewritten label with title and date affixed.

This object has the following keywords:

• Broken barriers
• Civil Rights Movements
• Columbus
• Desegregation
• Education
• Holsey Chapel
• Injustice
• James Meredith
• James Meredith
• Martin Luther King Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Memorials
• Oxford
• Racial Discrimination
• Southern Christian Leadership Conference
• Speeches
• Students
• University of Mississippi

• Image Dimensions: 6 3/8 x 9 1/2 in. (16.19 x 24.13 cm) Measured by Hudson, Karen
• Sheet Dimensions: 8 x 9 15/16 in. (20.32 x 25.24 cm) Measured by Hudson, Karen