Important Individuals of the Civil Rights Movement
The first African American to attend University of Mississippi, opening doors for balcks everywhere and helping to start a movement.
James Meredith
June 25th, 1933: born in Koscrusko, Mississippi.
May 26th, 1951: graduated high school and joined the Air Force.
1960: Finished serving in the Air Force and attended Jackson State College-an all black school-in Mississippi.
Jan. 26th, 1961: Decided to transfer from Jackson State College and applied to Ole Miss, an all white school.
Jan 31st, 1961: Told Ole Miss that he is, in fact, a black male.
Feb 4th, 1961: Meredith received a rejection letter from Ole Miss.
May 31st, 1961: Began Legal battle vs. Ole Miss with NAACP.
April 20th, 1962: Court of Appeals hears case.
June 25th, 1962: Judge Wisdom ruled he was denied by Ole Miss due to his race.
Sept. 30th, 1962: Flown into Oxford Registration with 170 marshals.***
Oct. 21st, 1962: Meredith officially registered for class and is attending Ole Miss.
August 19th, 1963: James Meredith graduates from Ole Miss.
***The night after, violent riots broke out in chaos leaving two people dead.
"Nothing could be more insulting to me than the concept of civil rights. It means perpetual second-class citizenship for me and my kind." -James Meredith
Daisy Bates was a civil rights activist: publisher, journalist, and lecturer who was the leader for the Little Rock Nine.
Daisy Bates
November 11, 1914: Born in Huttig, Arkansas.
Childhood: Her mother was raped an murdered by three white men. Her father left her to be raised by family and friends.**
1941: Married L.C. Banks, an insurance salesman, and moved to Little Rock.
May 9th, 1941: First Issue of Arkansas State Press ran, an African American Newspaper for civil rights.
1952: She became the president of Arkansas' NAACP.
1957: Helped "Little Rock Nine" attend Central High School in Little Rock.
1957: Hosted Little Rock Nine at her home until they could safely (escorted by Arkansas National Guard and 1,000 paratroopers) go to school on September 25th, 1957. ****
1959: Her and her husband's newspaper closed down.
1962: She published her autobiography, The Long Shadow of Little Rock.
August 8th, 1963: The only female to speak at the March of Washington.
1984: She resurrected her newspaper and sold it several years later.
November 4th, 1999: She passed away in Little Rock
**She attended Huttig's public segregated school and experienced the lack of attention blacks schools got.
****She continued to advocate for the students throughout their time there.
"The man who never makes a mistake always takes orders from one who does. No man or woman who tries to pursue an ideal in his or her own way is without enemies."-Daisy Bates