Essay Sample about James Meredith: The Life of an Unsung Hero

Nietzsche, a famous philosopher once said, “laundry is the only thing that should be separated by color.” Well at least it should be. This is what the civil rights movement fought for. They fought against segregation. Segregation is separating Black people and white people. Examples of segregation are, seperate water fountains, restrooms, pools, etc. One of the most important examples of segregation was schools. Therefore, there were a few brave men and women that took a stand. They said separate schools aren’t equal! They were determined to change the idea of color deciding where you go to school. One brave man, James Meredith, did exactly that. He took a stand when no one else did. Although James Meredith isn’t a very well known civil rights leader, he made an impact on progressing the Civil Rights movement.

Even from his early life, racism molded who he was and what he wanted to fight for. He first experienced racism when he was 15 years old and was on a train with his brother. Once he arrived in Memphis he was ordered to give up his seat and move to the much crowded area for Black people. He said he cried and cried after this life changing moment. After this incident he promised that he would make it his mission in life to ensure equal rights for Blacks. Later in his life he stated, “What I did at Ole Miss had nothing to do with going to classes. My objective was to destroy the system of white supremacy.” This is where his civil rights journey began. 

After going to a segregated college for the first two years of college, he was determined to go to an integrated college, specifically the University of Mississippi. Initially, he was denied admission from the college, but that didn’t stop him from putting up a fight. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. When rejected from Ole Miss, he filed a lawsuit against the school. He was able to do this because of the recent outcome of the Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education which rules that schools can’t be kept segregated. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Legal Defense Fund helped him with this. Originally the state courts ruled against him. Alternatively, the US Supreme Court ruled that he must be admitted into the school. But the Mississippi governor at the time Ross Barnett tried to deny his entry and tried blocking his admission. Later a deal was made between Barnett and U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy, that Meredith be admitted to the college. Once this happened there was a riot that broke out on the campus. Many angry white people attacked US Marshals. The riots were extremely violent and tragedy struck when two people were killed as a result of them. He ended up only spending a year at the college and graduated in 1963. He accomplished something but felt he could accomplish more. After all, his mission in life was to ensure equal rights for Blacks and whites.

In June of 1966 Meredith started a lone march by himself called, March Against Fear. This march was in order to ensure more freedom for Blacks and to promote Black voting rights. He started his march in Memphis but in Jackson, he was shot by a sniper. This violent act made many civil rights leaders motivated to join and resume the March which he was later able to rejoin after he recovered. Some of the leaders were Martin Luther King, Jr. and Stokely Carmichael. This March was a challenge and a dangerous mission that struggled with death threats, arrests, and tear gas. There were also additional arguments about leadership, routes, and even the use of the term, “Black Power.” Although, many parts of the March displayed triumph. One of the most famous pictured moment of the March was when a former 106 year old slave was pictured voting. Not only this, but Stokely Carmichael’s world captivating declaration of “Black Power,” was made during the march. This march like much of his life was important but isn’t as well known as other captivating civil rights events and marches. He teaches us an important lesson that Harry Truman, the 33rd President, wisely stated. “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” Meredith was driven not to be known as a hero or to be famous but rather, to help a cause that he believed in. That is what it means to be a true hero.

In conclusion, although the March faced many challenges, the end result showed camaraderie, bravery, and a nation willing to fight for a cause. Not only did this march show bravery but his whole life showed bravery. Meredith’s road to the university took patience and drive. His resiliency, determination, and courage helped him on his journey to make others lives better. He is a prime example of how people should be proud of their color. Even on laundry day, we all know, combining different colors makes the best outfit.