"I believe that as long as a single man may try, any unjustifiable barrier against his efforts is a barrier against mankind." – Robert F. Kennedy
On the weekend of September 30, 1962, James Meredith became the first black student enrolled at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) at Oxford. His presence on campus was met by a large crowd of angry white Mississippians and their pro-segregationist Governor Ross Barnett.
Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy feared the clashes could escalate into a "mini civil war" and tried all possible legal means to avoid a direct confrontation. A phone call made by Kennedy in the days before the Ole Miss riot captures the tension of the times and his unwavering determination to protect the civil rights of every American.
Fearing the worst, Robert Kennedy made a public statement urging calm:
"The orders of the federal courts can and will be enforced. It is important to our country, however, that if possible, that this be accomplished without force and without civil disorder."
The thirty-five year old Attorney General fully appreciated the dimensions of this challenge to Federal authority and made a forceful case to Mississippi Governor Barnett to back down:
"Going through this whole facade of your standing there; our people drawing guns; your stepping aside; to me it is dangerous and I think this has gone beyond the stage of politics, and you have a responsibility to the people of that state and to the people of the United States. This is a real disservice."
Governor Barnett was unwilling to betray the loyalties of his segregationist supporters, and on October 1, the protests turned violent. The Attorney General and his brother President John F. Kennedy agreed to send in U.S. Marshals and federalize the Mississippi National Guard to maintain order and ensure that James Meredith was enrolled. The protests continued for four days with two casualties, and afterwards, Meredith required around-the-clock police protection until graduation.
After he graduated, Meredith wrote a letter thanking the U.S. Department of Justice for its role in ensuring his entry to Ole Miss. In the letter, Meredith affirmed:
"The question always arises – was it worth the cost? … I believe I echo the feeling of most Americans when I say that ‘no price is too high to pay for freedom of person, equality of opportunity, and human dignity."
Learn more by visiting the University of Mississippi's online digital collection of Robert F. Kennedy's speeches.
"I believe that as long as a single man may try, any unjustifiable barrier against his efforts is a barrier against mankind." – Robert F. Kennedy
"The orders of the federal courts can and will be enforced. It is important to our country, however, that if possible, that this be accomplished without force and without civil disorder."
