Higher education was a key focal point for the struggle over segregation in Mississippi and most states. Historically, Mississippi colleges were started in the midst of slavery because of the fear that northern institutions would encourage anti-slavery sentiment among the many white southern youth who attended these schools. As Mississippi's Governor McNutt stated in 1839: "Those opposed to us in principle, and alienated in interests, cannot safely be entrusted with the education of our children." Alcorn University was started in 1871 as a Black college to maintain segregation after slavery was abolished.

James Meredith, a native of Kosciusko, Mississippi, and a student at all-Black Jackson State College, sought to end this segregated system just as Medgar Evers, one of his close advisors, and others had done in previous years.

In late 1962, Meredith entered the University of Mississippi under the protection of federal troops. The Governor of Mississippi, Ross Barnett, led the opposition to Meredith's entry on the grounds that it was a state's right, not the federal government's right, to make such decisions. He was joined in his opposition by the leading newspaper in the state, the Jackson Daily News, in a story headlined, "Ross Risks Jail to Halt Mixing." It editorialized: "We must either submit to the unlawful dictates of the federal government or stand up like men and tell them 'Never!'" Thousands of people gathered to support Governor Barnett's stance. Violence ensued: two people-a French journalist and a salesman-were killed, twenty-eight marshals shot and 160 marshals wounded. Finally, President John Kennedy ordered more than 23,000 federal troops (three times the population of Oxford) to occupy the campus.

Continuing his campaign in 1966, Meredith organized a "March Against Fear" to prove that a Black man could walk through Mississippi-225 miles from Memphis to Jackson-without being harassed. He wanted to demonstrate his bravery and inspire Black people to register to vote. He started on June 5 and on June 6-only ten miles inside Mississippi-he was wounded in the back by a shotgun blast fired by a Memphis-based racist. Immediately, the entire Civil Rights Movement rallied to continue Meredith's march. Participating were Dr. King of SCLC, Whitney Young of the Urban League, Roy Wilkins of the NAACP, and two newcomers: Stokely Carmichael of SNCC and Floyd McKissick of CORE.

During the continuation of this march the tension within the Movement over "what is to be done" broke out into the open. The NAACP, SCLC, and the Urban League continued to advocate the traditional civil rights agenda. SNCC, CORE, and other young militants had been considerably influenced by Malcom X, who had been gunned down in February 1965. Malcom advocated Black pride, self-determination and self-defense, and unity, with "a global rebellion of the oppressed against the oppressor, the exploited against the exploiter." Before the march ended on June 26, the leaders of SNCC had called for "Black Power," signaling an important shift in the tactics of the Civil Rights Movement.

Ronald W. Bailey
Northeastern University

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