(25899) Civil Rights, Demonstrations, "Meredith March Against Fear," Mississippi, 1966

A color snapshot of the “Meredith March Against Fear” as it makes its way towards Jackson, Mississippi.

The Meredith March Against Fear takes its name from James Meredith, the first African American to attend the University of Mississippi and a student at Columbia Law School who organized a 220 mile long walk from Memphis, TN to Jackson MS in an effort to encourage African Americans to register to vote. On June 6, the second day of the walk, Meredith reached Hernado, Mississippi and was shot in the back by a sniper. Upon hearing of the assault, civil rights campaigners from across the country rushed to Mississippi to finish the march in his name.