Legacy Celebration Honors Meredith, African American Firsts

Alumni return to alma mater for recognition and reflection

OXFORD, Miss. – Memories and laughter filled the air and a few tears filled some eyes as dozens of African Americans who achieved “firsts” at the University of Mississippi returned to their alma mater for the Legacy Celebration. Drawing more than 300 people, the Friday (Sept. 30) event in the Johnson Commons Ballroom was partRead the story …

UM Honors James Meredith with Mississippi Humanitarian Award

University trailblazer is fifth individual to receive award

OXFORD, Miss. – James Meredith became the fifth individual in the University of Mississippi‘s history to receive one of the university’s most prestigious honors, the Mississippi Humanitarian Award.  Announced Wednesday (Sept. 28) during “The Mission Continues: Building Upon the Legacy,” the signature event of the university’s commemoration of the 60th anniversary of integration, the MississippiRead the story …

A Seat for Everyone at the Longest Table

UM hosts students, faculty, staff, community members for dinner and diverse discussions

OXFORD, Miss. – Throughout much of the University of Mississippi‘s history, students such as James Meredith have been an integral part of spurring the change seen on campus today. To honor such students and promote conversation and fellowship, the Longest Table returns from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday (Oct. 2) in the Circle. The freeRead the story …

UM Honors James Meredith and Commemorates 60 Years of Integration

Signature event features recognitions and awards for first African American to enroll at the university

OXFORD, Miss. – Culminating nearly a year’s worth of planning, University of Mississippi representatives, alongside city, state and national officials, said thank you Wednesday night (Sept. 28) to the man who moved history forward 60 years ago. A crowd of hundreds of students, faculty, staff, community members, U.S. marshals, and national, state and local governmentRead the story …

Education Majors Captivate Local Students with Storytelling

Students read to fourth-graders for Week of Service, 60th anniversary of integration celebration

OXFORD, Miss. – Fourth-grade students at Lafayette Upper Elementary School listened attentively Tuesday (Sept. 27) as Jessica Crocker read a picture book about a janitor who became a college graduate. The University of Mississippi senior read from “Pass It On!” (Two Sylvias Press, 2017) by Gloria J. McEwen Burgess as part of a Week ofRead the story …

Where Integration Happened

Bus tour highlights desegregation sites across Oxford town

OXFORD, Miss. – As the bus pulled away from the Lyceum on Tuesday (Sept. 27), Margaret Gipson, an African American resident and lifelong educator in Oxford, sat primly on the front row. Today, she would hear stories of integration across Oxford and at the university where her grandfather worked but was not allowed to attend.Read the story …

Perseverance: Turning Trials into Triumphs

Economics and public policy leadership major refuses to accept status quo

As part of the 60th anniversary of integration at the University of Mississippi, this is the first of a four-part series based on the themes that are inscribed on the Civil Rights Monument on campus: perseverance, courage, knowledge and opportunity. These student stories reflect the characteristics that James Meredith embodied six decades ago when heRead the story …

Meredith Scholarship Established on 60th Anniversary of UM Integration

Alumnus creates award to honor civil rights leader, help new generations of students

OXFORD, Miss. – A new scholarship fund honors civil rights hero James Meredith just in time to celebrate the 60th anniversary of his 1962 integration of the University of Mississippi, a historic achievement that opened the door for thousands of other students. The James H. Meredith Legacy Scholarship Fund was established by UM alumnus Dr.Read the story …

University to Honor James Meredith’s Legacy

Signature event to highlight first African American student’s courage, impact

OXFORD, Miss. – Sixty years after civil rights activist James Meredith integrated the University of Mississippi, students, faculty, staff, alumni and guests will gather in his honor to commemorate the anniversary of that defining moment in the university’s history. Meredith, who became the first African American student to enroll at UM on Oct. 1, 1962,Read the story …

Panels to Discuss UM Integration, Media

Overby Center invites notables, scholars of 1962 integration to speak on campus

OXFORD, Miss. – This fall, a panel of speakers organized by the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics will discuss the violent 1962 integration of the University of Mississippi. Later, another panel will give three African American women, leaders of major Southern newsrooms, an opportunity to speak on the climate of journalism in America.Read the story …