Hello and welcome to today's lesson on the James Meredith case.

This lesson is part of a broader unit where we'll be looking at why the civil rights movement was more successful from 1960 to 1965.

In the course of this inquiry, we'll be covering lots of different things, mainly the key events that took place between 1960 and 1965.

But in this lesson, we're just going to be focusing on the James Meredith case that took place in 1962.

Now, for the purpose of this lesson, you're going to need a piece of paper and a pen.

If you don't have one, that's absolutely fine.

Just pause the video now, get everything you need, and then come back and press play when you're ready to go.

Great.

Now you've got everything you need, you can see our lesson outcome here on the slide.

Now, by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to say that you can describe the case of James Meredith and explain the significance of Kennedy's role.

But in order to do that, we're going to need some keywords.

And for today, we just have one and that is enrol.

And to enrol means to officially register as a student on a university course.

So if you have enrolled on a university course, you have officially registered.

You are now a student at that institution.

It's going to be a very important word for the duration of this lesson.

But now we've got our lesson outcome and our keyword, we can get started.

And in the first part of our lesson, we are going to be focusing on just one individual, and that individual is James Meredith.

So James Meredith was a Black American man born in June, 1933, in Kosciusko, Mississippi.

Meredith was raised by his parents on an 83 acre farm with nine brothers and sisters.

Although Mississippi is a southern state, Meredith was quite isolated from the racism of the south, and that's because he was able to grow up on a large farm, largely separate from other Americans, particularly racist white American groups.

One of his earliest encounters with racism and segregation was on a train journey from Chicago when he was 15 years old.

As the train passed through Tennessee, he was ordered to give up his seat for a white passenger.

And it was after this experience that Meredith vowed that he would dedicate his life to fighting racial injustice.

And it was at the age of 18 that Meredith joined the US Air Force, where he served for the next nine years.

During his time in the US Air Force, the Brown versus Topeka ruling from the Supreme Court ordered the desegregation of education across the US.

Although this was slowly enforced and often violently opposed, it gave hope to university students in the US, especially those in the south.

So when Meredith returned home at the age of 27 from serving in the US Air Force, he began his studies at Jackson State University, a historically Black college in Mississippi.

However, Meredith had plans to become the first Black American student at the University of Mississippi.

Before we move on to look at what took place once he decided to apply to the University of Mississippi, which had previously been a segregated university for only white American students, let's pause and check our understanding so far.

So firstly, I'd like you to tell me which two of the following statements about James Meredith are true.

Is it, A, living on a farm with his family, Meredith experienced a lot of racism as a young boy? B, when he was 15, he was ordered to give up his seat for a white person while on a train journey? Or C, his experience of racism on the train journey was important in his decision to dedicate his life to fighting racism? Pause the video now, make a decision, and then come back and press play when you're done.

Excellent.

I'm hoping that you picked B and C, because we know that actually living on a farm protected Meredith from a lot of the racism that most Black Americans experienced in the south.

We know that it was true that when he was 15, he was ordered to give up his seat for a white person on a train journey.

This was one of his earliest encounters with racism and segregation.

But we also know that it was this experience that pushed him to dedicate his life to fighting racism.

Great work on that first check.

Now I'd like you to quickly give me five details about James Meredith.

So pause the video now.

Give yourself a couple of minutes and just jot down five details that you can remember about the life of James Meredith so far.

Excellent.

I'm hoping you've included some of the following: that he was a Black American man.

That he was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi.

That he encountered racism on a train journey at 15.

That he served in the US Air Force for nine years.

That when he returned, he attended Jackson State University.

And that despite ongoing segregation, he planned to become the first Black American student in the University of Mississippi.

Really well done.

Let's have a go at putting this into practise now.

So using those key details from the previous task, hopefully you wrote down at least five, I'd like you to write a brief account of James Meredith's life by the age of 27.

I'd like you to include these phrases in your response: "his first experience is off," "this experience led to," "before this," and "as a result of." Those phrases will really help you connect the key events that we looked at, rather than just listing the different things that happened to him.

So pause the video now.

Give yourself 5 to 10 minutes to write this brief account, and then come back and press play when you're done.

Great work.

Now let's have a look at what your answer might have included.

"James Meredith was a Black American man born in 1933 in the southern state of Mississippi.

Despite being born in the south, one of his first experiences of racism was on a train journey from Chicago at 15 years old.

This experience led to Meredith dedicating his life to fighting racial injustice.

Before this, he would serve in the US Air Force for nine years.

By the time he returned to Mississippi, Brown versus Topeka had ordered all schools to desegregate.

As a result of this, many students hoped that they could attend an integrated university.

While Meredith returned to study at Jackson State University at the age of 27, he intended to be the first Black student at the University of Mississippi." So hopefully you've got all those four phrases in, and some of the other key details from that earlier task.

Really well done.

Let's move on to the second part of our lesson.

So in the second part of our lesson, we're going to be looking at James Meredith and the Ole Miss, that was the name given to the University of Mississippi.

So with the support of the NAACP, a civil rights organisation, Meredith first applied to study at the University of Mississippi in 1961, the day after John F.

Kennedy became President of the United States.

But this application was denied, as was the next.

So he had two applications denied by the University of Mississippi.

But the NAACP's legal team helped Meredith to file a case against the university, stating that he was rejected because of his race, since he had a glowing record of service in the armed forces, and a student through high school, and as a university student at Jackson State University.

So it was the NAACP who supported Meredith filing this case, and they had a very strong case to make, because if you looked at his academic record, there was no reason not to accept him at the university.

Now, before we go on to look at how this legal case turned out, we're going to pause and check our understanding so far.

So I'd like you to tell me which civil rights organisation helped James Meredith file a case against the Ole Miss? Was it, A, the Congress of Racial Equality, CORE, B, the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, the NAACP, or C, the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee, SNCC? Pause the video now, give yourself a minute to make a decision, and when you have the answer, come back and press play.

Great work.

We know it was the NAACP who provided legal support for James Meredith in trying to get accepted at the University of Mississippi, the Ole Miss.

So it was the NAACP who supported James Meredith in attempting to enrol at the University of Mississippi.

And after a long drawn out court battle, the case was taken to the Supreme Court, to the highest court in the US.

And in June, 1962, the Supreme Court ruled that the University of Mississippi had to enrol James Meredith.

The problem was was that the university had no intention of enrolling Meredith or any other Black student.

The Governor of Mississippi, Ross Barnett, said that "No school in Mississippi will be integrated while I am your governor.

I shall do everything in my power to prevent integration in our schools." Barnett passed a new state law that banned anyone who had been convicted of a crime from enrolling at university, and then he had Meredith convicted on a false charge.

So without the hand of the President himself, Meredith was not going to be able to enrol.

And here on this slide, we can see a photograph of Meredith holding a newspaper announcing Barnett's refusal to allow him to enrol.

It was only with the support of President Kennedy that Barnett was eventually arrested for his actions, until he agreed to allow Meredith to enrol, which he did in September, 1962.

So it took a long, drawn out court battle, which was supported by the NAACP, and the hand of President Kennedy to push for the governor to allow for James Meredith to enrol at the University of Mississippi.

So we're going to pause there before we look at what actually happened once James Meredith went to enrol, check our understanding, and put what we've learned in this part of the lesson into practise.

So firstly, I'd like you to tell me what decision was made by the Supreme Court in 1962.

Was it, A, the Ole Miss had to enrol James Meredith? B, the Ole Miss did not have to enrol James Meredith? Or C, the Ole Miss did not have to enrol James Meredith, but he could appeal the decision? Pause the video now, make a decision, and come back and press play when you think you have the answer.

Great work.

We know that in 1962, the Supreme Court ruled that the Ole Miss had to enrol James Meredith.

Second question, Ross Barnett refused to admit James Meredith.

So how was Meredith eventually enrolled in September, 1962? Was it, A, the NAACP organised a march to support James Meredith? B, James Meredith sought help from CORE to stages sitting at the university? Or C, with the support of Kennedy, Barnett was arrested until he agreed to enrol Meredith? Pause the video now, make a decision, and then come back and press play when you think you know.

Great work.

We know that the answer is C, that with the support of Kennedy, Barnett was arrested until he agreed to enrol Meredith.

Now I'd like you to put this into practise, but first, you're going to need to read Jacob's statement.

He says that Meredith first applied to the Ole Miss in 1961, the day after Kennedy became president.

However, this application and the next were denied.

With support of the NAACP, Meredith was able to file a case against the university.

Ross Barnett refused to allow him to enrol, passed a new law, and had Meredith arrested on a false charge.

In September, 1962, Meredith finally enrolled at the University of Mississippi.

So Jacob has begun to describe the case of James Meredith, but there are at least two key details missing from his description.

So I'd like you to complete Jacob's description by adding at least two key details.

So pause the video now, give yourself 5 to 10 minutes to complete this task, and then come back when you're done.

Great work there.

So I asked you to complete Jacob's description by adding at least two key details.

Let's see what your answer might have included.

So your complete description might have looked like this.

"Meredith first applied to the Ole Miss in 1961, the day after Kennedy became president.

However, this application and the next were denied.

With the support of the NAACP, Meredith was able to file a case against the university.

The case lasted until June, 1962, when the Supreme Court ruled that the Ole Miss had to enrol Meredith.

However, Ross Barnett refused to allow him to enrol, passed a new law, and had Meredith arrested on a false charge.

As the new law meant that anyone convicted of a crime could not enrol at university, James Meredith would no longer be able to enrol at the Ole Miss, even with the Supreme Court ruling.

It was only with the support of President Kennedy in arresting Ross Barnett, that Barnett eventually agreed to allow Meredith to enrol.

In September, 1962, Meredith finally enrolled at the University of Mississippi." So hopefully you added similar details.

Really well done.

If there's anything you'd like to jot down quickly, just pause the video now and do so, before we move on to the third and final part of our lesson.

And in this final part of the lesson, we'll be looking at the resistance to desegregation that occurred at the University of Mississippi.

So in September, it was agreed that President Kennedy would send in over 300 federal troops to escort Meredith to the university.

White students who opposed desegregation had gathered.

And when Meredith and the hundreds of federal troops arrived, they started a riot.

The outbreak that followed became known as the Battle of Oxford.

So we can see in this photo here that James Meredith is being escorted by federal troops to enrol.

And here on the slide, we can see a photograph of the scene after what became known as the Battle of Oxford.

In the rioting, over 200 protestors and 150 troops were injured, and two people were killed.

Order was not restored until Kennedy sent in another 2000 troops.

And even after order was restored, 300 federal troops were stationed on campus until Meredith graduated in 1963.

And we can see here a photograph of the federal troops brought into the Ole Miss to protect Meredith until he graduated in 1963.

So for the year that he was on campus, there was a constant presence of federal troops to protect him, because of how significant the opposition to desegregation was at the University of Mississippi.

Now, before we go on to consider whether this event was isolated to just Mississippi, or whether there's other examples, we're gonna pause and check our understanding so far.

So I'd like you to tell me, what was the Battle of Oxford? Pause the video now.

Give yourself a couple of minutes to jot down what the Battle of Oxford was, and then come back and press play when you've got an idea.

So you might have said that it was a riot that broke out following Meredith's arrival at the University of Mississippi.

White students who opposed desegregation had gathered and began the riots when Meredith arrived with federal protection.

Two people were killed in the chaos, and 200 protestors and 150 troops were injured.

Really great work.

Well done.

So in looking at opposition to desegregation, it's important to know that the opposition to the desegregation of universities was not limited to Mississippi.

In June, 1933, the Governor of Alabama, George Wallace, stated that he would stand in the school door house with any Black student who attempted to enrol at the University of Alabama.

However, following the outbreak in Mississippi, Wallace's protest was short-lived, as Kennedy ordered federal troops to enforce desegregation, as they had done in Mississippi.

And we can see him here giving a speech to protest Kennedy's use of federal troops in Alabama.

But nevertheless, Vivian Malone and James Hood were the first Black students to enrol at the University of Alabama on the 11th of June, 1963.

And in this photograph here, we can see them entering one of the auditoriums at the University of Alabama, surrounded by journalists taking photographs of this historic moment.

But although the violent opposition in Mississippi and the continued opposition from the Governor of Alabama suggests that little progress was being made, the support of the President and the use of federal intervention showed that attitudes were changing.

These events prompted Kennedy to make a speech on that same evening that Malone and Hood were enrolled at the University of Alabama.

In his speech, he declared that the issue of civil rights was a moral issue, not just a legal problem.

And only one week later, he would go on to start the 1964 Civil Rights Act, a landmark moment in the civil rights movement.

Now, before we go on to our final task for today, we're just going to round up by checking our understanding about these two monumental moments in Mississippi and Alabama, and then put everything we've learned into practise.

Really well done for today.

Just a little bit more to get done.

So first, I'd like you to tell me which two of the following were the first Black students to enrol at the University of Alabama.

Was it, A, Vivian Malone, B, James Meredith, C, James Hood, or D, George Wallace? Pause the video now and come back when you've got an answer for me.

Great work.

We know that the answer is Vivian Malone and James Hood.

James Meredith was the first Black student to enrol at the University of Mississippi, and George Wallace was the governor who tried to prevent the desegregation of the University of Alabama.

To check our understanding for the last time today, I'd like you, starting with the earliest, to sort these events into chronological order, with one as the earliest event.

So pause the video now and sort these events into chronological order.

Great work.

Let's have a look at what the correct order of these events is.

So firstly, we know that James Meredith enrols at the University of Mississippi.

Then George Wallace opposes the desegregation of the University of Alabama.

Then Vivian Malone and James Hood enrol at the University of Alabama.

And finally, Kennedy goes on to start the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Really well done if you got that in the right order.

If not, you can just correct it now.

Pause the video and then press play when you've got the right answers down.

So for the first part of our final practise task today, I'd like you to read these statements by Laura and Aisha.

Laura says, "The support of Kennedy was one of several reasons why James Meredith was able to enrol, however, it is more significant when you consider the impact of his support outside of Mississippi." Aisha says that, "The role of Kennedy was pivotal in the case of James Meredith.

Kennedy's support and intervention were the sole reasons James Meredith was able to enrol in September 1962." So I'd like you to explain who you think makes the more convincing judgement about the significance of Kennedy in the James Meredith case.

And as you do this, make sure to quote the student and explain which parts of their statements you find really convincing, and support that with the knowledge that you've gained throughout the lesson.

So give yourself 5 to 10 minutes to write this paragraph or two to explain which student makes the most convincing judgement.

Great work.

Let's have a look at what your answer might have included.

So you might have said that Laura makes the more convincing argument.

This is clear as she acknowledges Kennedy as one of several reasons for the success of the James Meredith case.

This can be supported by the fact that while Kennedy was instrumental in pushing Barnett to allow Meredith to enrol, the NAACP also played a crucial role in supporting Meredith win the drawn-out case against the University of Mississippi.

In addition, Laura is more convincing as she also points to the significance of his role outside of Mississippi.

Kennedy's role was significant, both within and beyond Mississippi.

This is clear as his support for Meredith led to his support for Vivian Malone and James Hood in the desegregation of the University of Alabama, which was immediately followed by the start of the next Civil Rights Act.

This shows that although Kennedy played a significant role in the Meredith case, he was one of several reasons for the success of the case, and his is also significant when you consider the long-term impact beyond Mississippi.

Really great work there if you were able to explain which student you think made the most convincing judgement , and support really specific quotes from the statement with key knowledge that you've learned throughout the lesson.

Now, in the final part of our final task for today, I would like you to explain why the other student makes a valid but less convincing judgement.

So if you think Laura makes the most convincing judgement , you're now going to explain why Aisha makes a valid but less convincing judgement.

If you think Aisha made the more convincing judgement , you're now going to explain why Laura made the valid but less convincing judgement.

And in doing this, remember to use specific quotes from their statements.

But also consider, if it is valid, what points of it do you think are accurate and could be supported with what you know? But if you think it's less convincing, then there's probably something you think they may be over emphasising or downplaying that you disagree with.

So pause the video now, give yourself 5 to 10 minutes to complete this final part of our final task.

Great work.

Now let's have a look at what your final task might have looked like.

So if you agree with Laura in the first part, you might have said Aisha's judgement is less convincing, but she makes some valid points.

Aisha acknowledges that the role of Kennedy was pivotal in the case of James Meredith.

This can be credited by the fact that Kennedy not only had Barnett arrested until he agreed to enrol Meredith, but also in providing federal troops to protect Meredith when he went to enrol, and for the entire time he studied at the Ole Miss.

Without this intervention, it is unlikely Meredith would've been able to protect himself against the crowds waiting to protest against his enrollment.

However, Aisha underplays the role of the NAACP and James Meredith himself.

In referring to Kennedy as the sole reason James Meredith was able to enrol, she neglects the fact that Meredith himself played an important role in making several applications, seeking the help of the NAACP, and continuing to fight for his right to enrol, even when he faced significant opposition.

This statement also under plays the role of the NAACP.

Without them, it is unlikely that Meredith would've been able to fund or support the legal battle that lasted over a year.

This shows that while Aisha rightly acknowledges the pivotal role of Kennedy, she underplays the role of other important individuals and organisations.

Really great work this lesson.

If you were able to explain why the other student made some valid points that could be credited with what you knew, but also the details that they underplayed or maybe overemphasised, really well done.

So impressive.

You've done a great job today.

So for the final part of our lesson, we're going to be looking at a quick summary of what we've learned today.

So in today's lesson, we've covered lots of different things.

We've learned that the Brown versus Topeka ruling did not lead to the immediate desegregation of universities, especially in the south.

We learned that despite opposition from local authorities, James Meredith was able to enrol in September 1962, as a result of the support of the NAACP and President Kennedy.

We learned that Kennedy's use of federal intervention to support Meredith led the Battle of Oxford, in which two people were killed and hundreds more were injured.

And finally, we learned that Kennedy's role in Mississippi led the desegregation of the University of Alabama.

His support in both cases showed that attitudes were changing.

So really well done.

You've covered lots of information and you've done some great work.

I'm very impressed.