d) University of Mississippi
In 1961, James Meredith applied to the all-white school. He was initially accepted but his admission was later withdrawn when it was discovered that he was Black.
Since this occurred following Brown v. Board of Education, Meredith filed a lawsuit alleging discrimination.
The state courts ruled against him but the Supreme Court later ruled in his favor.
On September 20, 1962, Meredith arrived on campus to register for classes but was met with rioters. Attorney General Robert Kennedy and President John F. Kennedy sent troops in response and on Oct. 1, Meredith officially became the first Black student to enroll at the university.
In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” he named Meredith one of the “real heroes” in the civil rights movement.
