James Meredith is a civil rights activist who became the first African American to attend the University of Mississippi in 1962. Born in Mississippi in 1933, James Meredith was raised on a farm with nine siblings. He joined the military after high school and attended an all-black college before becoming the first black student at the University of Mississippi in 1962. After he graduated, Meredith earned a law degree and became involved in politics. He lives in Jackson, Mississippi, and continues to be active in civil rights.
