Ole Miss Riot

In 1962, James Merideth was the first black student to attend Ole Miss. James Meredith was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, on 25th June, 1933. James Merideth a native Mississipian, got his elementry and secondary education in Mississippi. His last year of highschool was completed in Florida. Meredith spent nine year in the United States Airforce. While in the Air Force, Mereideth completed courses at four different schools conducting night classes. After completeing high school, Mereidth was determined to become the first African American to attend Ole Miss. Threats of being lynched and a riot diddent prevent Mereideth from studying at the University. On September 30, 1962 an riot erupted. Some three thousand people we included in this riot. Including students of Ole Miss, local citizens, and Klan groups for Florida to Texas. They all fought against US Marshals with bricks, sticks, bottels, and homemade bombs.^[1] The riot had gotten so out of hand, President Kennedy ordered twenty thousand U.S. Army soldiers to be headquartered in nearby Memphis, to restore order on the campus. When the riot had ended, two people were dead and sixty marshals had been injured.^[2][3]                                     Chief U.S. MarshalJames McShane(left) and John Doar (right) of the Justice Department escorting James Meredith to class at Ole Miss.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Significance  

The events that had happened in the past seem ridiculous to us today in the 20th century. Though they may seem ridiculous, the riots back then helped us create our equality today. The Ole Miss riot had started a change reaction. When the riot erupted it had brought the attention of blacks and whites to the surface. People then saw how unfair blacks were being treated, this then started more riots, but this time it was for equality. When things started to get out of hand the goverment started to change the laws to make the equality official which lead to the changeing of peoples minds. America began to treat everyone the same.