HR0609 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to commemorate the 50th anniversary of James Meredith's graduation from the University of Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, James Howard Meredith was born on June 25, 1933 in Kosciusko, Mississippi, and was raised on a farm with his 9 brothers and sisters; he first experienced institutionalized racism while riding a train from Chicago with his brother; when the train arrived in Memphis, Tennessee, he was ordered to give up his seat and move to the crowded black section of the train, where he had to stand for the rest of his trip home; this event spurred him to dedicate his life to ensuring equal treatment for African-Americans; and

WHEREAS, After high school, James Meredith served in the United States Air Force for 9 years before enrolling in Jackson State College, an all-black school, in Mississippi; in 1961, he applied to the all-white University of Mississippi; he was admitted, but his admission was withdrawn when the registrar discovered his race; this action, done in violation of Brown v. Board of Education ruling, which ordered all public educational institutions to desegregate by this time, prompted him to file suit against the university alleging discrimination; although the district court ruled against him, the case made its way to the United States Supreme Court, which ruled in his favor; and

WHEREAS, When James Meredith arrived at the University of Mississippi to register for classes on September 20, 1962, he found the entrance blocked; after riots erupted, United States Marshals, military police, troops from the Mississippi National Guard, and officials from the United States Border Patrol were sent to quell the disturbances; on October 1, 1962, he became the first black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi, which has become known as a watershed moment in the civil rights movement; in 1963, he graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in political science; and

WHEREAS, After graduating from the University of Mississippi, James Meredith earned his Master's Degree in economics from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria and his law degree from Columbia University in 1968; from 1989 to 1991, he served as a domestic adviser to United States Senator Jesse Helms; and

WHEREAS, James Meredith was the recipient of the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Medal for Education Impact on May 29, 2013 for his work in promoting school preparedness and building moral character in our nation's youth; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commemorate the 50th anniversary of James Meredith's graduation from the University of Mississippi and thank Mr. Meredith for his pioneering work in ensuring the equal treatment of all; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we congratulate James Meredith on the occasion of his 80th birthday and wish him many happy and healthy years to come; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to James Meredith as a symbol of our respect and esteem.