Civil Rights Pioneer James Meredith Challenges America Once Again
What kind of fortitude would it take to breach the walls of Ole Miss, a bastion of white supremacy in the heart of the South? Who would dare confront the threats of lynching, threats to family members, and the visceral hatred of thousands of people? James Meredith was the man who did this back in 1962, and in his memoir, A Mission from God, he tells us the story.
The book is a gripping read. We learn about the character of this man, and the upbringing that prepared him for what he took on as a mission from God. We hear of his father, Cap Meredith, a proud independent farmer, whose land James Meredith bought and still relies on for his living. Cap Meredith founded and built the first school for blacks before James was born, mortgaging land to raise the funds. Meredith writes:
The book is a gripping read. We learn about the character of this man, and the upbringing that prepared him for what he took on as a mission from God. We hear of his father, Cap Meredith, a proud independent farmer, whose land James Meredith bought and still relies on for his living. Cap Meredith founded and built the first school for blacks before James was born, mortgaging land to raise the funds. Meredith writes:
My father was the greatest man I have ever known, and ever since I was a little boy he had told me it was my divine responsibility to save the black race; to unify the black, white, and Native