Who in Mississippi hasn’t heard of James Meredith? Especially if you went to Ole Miss.
The civil rights icon is best known for integrating the University of Mississippi in 1962 but the attorney and educator is also the author of 27 books. He and some of his family members were at Hinds Community College’s Jackson Campus-Academic/Technical Center on Nov. 7 to speak to a crowd of Hinds students and employees as well as students from three local high schools.
Sponsored by the M2M program that is aimed at boosting the minority male student graduation rate at Hinds, the presentation was called “A Conversation with James Meredith.” It’s basically the same speech Meredith gave at a Harvard Graduate School of Education graduation in May 2013.
Meredith didn’t talk about his struggle integrating Ole Miss, or the “March against Fear” in 1966 when he was shot by a sniper.
Instead from the pulpit at JATC, Meredith preached a message about responsibility. About being your brother’s keeper. About being the Good Samaritan. About the role of the black church in saving young people. About being the responsible elder who looks after the young folk.
I don’t know whether the crowd of mostly teenage male students got the message, but I’m sure it’s one the older people in the audience heard.
Meredith said it’s up to the elders to follow the lead of the Good Samaritan and not be afraid to help the youth. “The only way to solve the problem of the youth is for the elders to always do their job,” he said.
As he was speaking, I wondered if the students in the room really understood the significance of what they were hearing or the person talking. But maybe they’ll remember his message: personal responsibility
