Biography

James Meredith was born on June 25, 1933 in Kosciusko, Mississippi, USA. He has been married to Judy Alsobrook since 1981. They have two children. He was previously married to Mary June Wiggins.

On October 1, 1962, escorted by United States Marshals, he became the first black student to attend the University of Mississippi. His admission was regarded as a pivotal moment in the history of the civil rights movement.

In 2002, the University of Mississippi commemorated the 40th anniversary of his historic admission and integration of the institution with numerous events. A statue of James Meredith was installed on campus in his honor.

In 2012, he received the Medal of Education Impact from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Cambridge, Massachusetts and was the school's convocation speaker. Meredith said this was the first award in 50 years he has accepted.

My answer to the racial problem in America is to not deal with it at all. The founding fathers dealt with it when they made the Constitution.

When it comes to my rights as an American citizen, and yours, I am a triumphalist and an absolutist. Anything less is an insult.

Nothing could be more insulting to me than the concept of civil rights. It means perpetual second-class citizenship for me and my kind.

There are a million Negroes in Mississippi. I think they will take care of me.