III. Racial Struggle after Integration
James Meredith was met with much hostility during his attempt to enroll. Meredith was halted by Mississippi’s governor, Ross Barnett, who issued a statement denying his admission to the University (Sansing, 1999). Despite the United States Supreme Court’s order to admit Meredith to the university and several attempts by U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy to sway Barnett, the governor refused to abide by legal orders. Finally, Robert Kennedy and Barnett agreed on a solution. The plan was to utilize at least 25 armed Federal Marshals to admit Meredith and to appeal to Barnett’s pro-segregation supporters that he had no other option but to step aside (Sansing, 1999). Before Meredith could arrive, however, nearly 2,000 angry students and other agitators barricaded Meredith’s entrance (U.S. Marshall News, 2016). President John F. Kennedy now felt obligated to secure the safety of Meredith’s enrollment and sent a military occupation of nearly 31,000 federal troops (U.S. Marshall News, 2016). The evening, known as the Meredith Crisis, resulted in several injuries and the death of two people. Meredith officially registered as the …show more content…
The Meredith Crisis gained national attention, pushing the University of Mississippi at the forefront of race relations in the realm of academia. The Meredith Crisis was only the beginning of the many racial incidents throughout the school’s history. Several incidents have transpired since. The campus protest at Fulton Chapel and the vandalizing of Rust College, a historically black college located in Holly Springs, by the Fraternity Beta Theta Pi, are just two stains in the school’s history (Sansing, 1999 & New York Time Staff Writer, 1989). But recently, social media and technology have brought attention to other racial episodes at the University of
James Meredith was met with much hostility during his attempt to enroll. Meredith was halted by Mississippi’s governor, Ross Barnett, who issued a statement denying his admission to the University (Sansing, 1999). Despite the United States Supreme Court’s order to admit Meredith to the university and several attempts by U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy to sway Barnett, the governor refused to abide by legal orders. Finally, Robert Kennedy and Barnett agreed on a solution. The plan was to utilize at least 25 armed Federal Marshals to admit Meredith and to appeal to Barnett’s pro-segregation supporters that he had no other option but to step aside (Sansing, 1999). Before Meredith could arrive, however, nearly 2,000 angry students and other agitators barricaded Meredith’s entrance (U.S. Marshall News, 2016). President John F. Kennedy now felt obligated to secure the safety of Meredith’s enrollment and sent a military occupation of nearly 31,000 federal troops (U.S. Marshall News, 2016). The evening, known as the Meredith Crisis, resulted in several injuries and the death of two people. Meredith officially registered as the …show more content…
The Meredith Crisis gained national attention, pushing the University of Mississippi at the forefront of race relations in the realm of academia. The Meredith Crisis was only the beginning of the many racial incidents throughout the school’s history. Several incidents have transpired since. The campus protest at Fulton Chapel and the vandalizing of Rust College, a historically black college located in Holly Springs, by the Fraternity Beta Theta Pi, are just two stains in the school’s history (Sansing, 1999 & New York Time Staff Writer, 1989). But recently, social media and technology have brought attention to other racial episodes at the University of