The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 05, 1962, IT HAPPENED IN MISSISSIPPI, Image 9
IT HAPPEI
Oxfoird, Miss.---General i order has been restored to this
sIMll Solthrn college town but a sense of fear, hate
;11i unrII-vality still exists.
Armed federal timops stand guard (ion every cornel
f OJxford and oI the Inw Serenle camplius of the Uni
versity oif lississippi. They search every car at 50-foot
m11teivals anl check the identificatiin of all persons.
Plames adi ltliciopters fly interminably in the sky
Army .ieeps fluood cthe streets. ('ities lf telts can hw
-On iII i (iv directit'nl.
Sct by 'rsidlnt KiIeIIdy, the federal trfmps hav\
lietil dliivc1vd tcI fm ce tht enolimeit o)f .lamices II. Mere
ditl. the firt Negro t() attenld the 1inevio)usly all-whiti
'ivr f ssi.ipi, (icc and to keep order among ;tu
,h-i ts ;ni ()xf lrd I'-Sidlnts Who iOtI1d inl oppositiOni ii
-1-Ne,grt'- cntranct. ()n camilpus.
Th r'sid4,n1ts (f Oxford and the stiuets at le l1iss.
: w t-clicc is reverently called, watch'l and wait. Fillet:
w\ith emouu111tio, they find everythinK they -we- and hea
:lwmost ilmssible to bielieve.
"Nis: -icc 'lit' ('ivil War has Oxford been like this.'
iId lHit-; r. Fiwmen' editor ()f the weekly town news
pail-r. "I knw it's happened but I really can't believe it
lhy'll ce abcle to kevp Meredith in," she Said, pointing
i tropfi stationed 4n the rif of the Oxford Grammal
.cl. "but whvie they leave, I dion't know I donl'i
Ali iderly hly sttmd (onil tihe cocrirc 4f Ian Oxforid
treet watchicIg a1 caaIvall of suiliiers march by. With
tIars in her eyes, she said. "h\'yt did he ( Kennedy,
cind trwpI*erV? We'rc g-mid pellple inl Mlississippi arnd
ve i miinu w business i What did we do t(c deserv(
th is'?"
(i te ticI-shcladed caipis. students walked peace.
iliy to their classes anld gathered inl small 1111umbers t<.
dist tss the hlavm- that h1as pharlied Ole Miss and brought
hemui n bl wid' attention. They ignored the phiotog.
rapjhers ccrii tricops that surroundicedl themi.
Broi keni glass arnic debiiis coeied the school's sprawl incg
ia-incr :anpcuoc. (Cnfederate flayrs were draped fromi
ciormciito ry w-iidows. Ani effigy oif Mleredith hung from
c cmn's residece hc' all with i a sigc attached thcat read
"We'reccimi nmiss yuou w hecn you're gonce."
Thei sItuets, fteir eyes' reddlcenedc from tecar gas fumes
whIicli still hungi ~ cvter thIe campi lus, t alkeud fi'eely abcout
the' sit luctionc into whlich they wvere plunged.
Said cone sto-t:ic "Th'is coulcd hav'e all heeun pre
Ventedci. .\leredi tic reauliz/ed t hat ticis wvoiuld happen if he
cinroclledh herie. yet lie per'sisted. 'Thec studencts didn't
wanit iin. fte f'aculty and admiuistirat-ion didn't wanct
him i-y yet hei came ll'-i'.vten theit pteople oif his oiwn race in
thcis stat te volun ctieerted ti raiuse t'nougiih mcoccey toi sendc
hcimi ft ancy slcool ini the country' anid ihe still came."
Ai c' eI statdc tlic t \Meri'th icou'ild nevter 1biecome "lIikt'
ini ofl us" herauste fte studen'cts mcii peopile inc Missis
sippii rc nit'cct priepared-i tic aeect im as a "nior'mal
sIct'dent."' Shie s a id thcat "'inctegrationi wvill Ice an accepted
fact at (OIe .\l is s stomeda y, butit .ler'ecdithI's entrianice has
onily' caucsi'd racial tencsion acnd his eintr'accc will dou moi'e
hiarm fccr is r'ace thcanc gcood."c
.\locst cof thIe studtilcts hiad s1) imila feel inlgs abcou t the
4 ~~~~violenicet thaut. ccurr'ed,. disliked t'edieral trocops oni their
camcipus an cctIhey felt that M er'edlith ic nic cct beloncg
As t hey wvalkedl toc t heir c'corcms, thIe stuidecnts watched'
trooicps t'circlecd arioun cci axIter llall, wvhere thet Negro
was houitsed. T hey dliid nt .itecr, ori throw~ thincgs---they'
wcatched'i andii waitedc . . t his was integration
NED N
OXi''OuI), Miss. ---Civil war still flares i Oxford an
guns are flourished-but it is the (.ivil war i between wai
se d11141 littlethvs who insist ()n playiig ill drug st,t
and(I the giius IlouiAshed art their toy pistols, fol thlt
h Jootinlg I., virtually over. in, the intevirationurii at 11h
University of \ississippi.
-lIMs Meredith. 29-year-old Negro. juas. now been m
Ielding classes fmr a week, and is living in Baxter. mien'
itsidence hall, which ha,: botll ab lit etly vacated Ib.%
hitele residents.
Wheni darkne(.,S V0omW: fil Oh. .\lls,. 1t4 w JIhiht., bur'i If
Baxter illuiminatiig the balet-iies and(] twoid* l te eight
federal marshals wh,. keep Meredtihl un<h-i con"st am I
veillanlce.
Tr"Ops hiVOLUac IeVerywhere, their tent - art. pitched-41
kilh grrammarl Sclhol roolf. kinl tih airp r u 1.111nway. nih
Iliversily of, .lississippi campus.
( xn,wd Ilerchants faced with til- pows4--IiI 1i '0 a;
co'1om11ic boom). often refiso teie to the trNop . .Iluch
ofi tis local hostility seems to h c;2 CoMt. a- a restil
Ot "outl! sde i lnt elference. " Tile iitrfren W. I ble
110r Itdent rioting Sunlday nih,resulting il, tw\t devathl,
and nmerou i r . according to ' V. S Army firi
"Whi'n WL' 90t to Hte ON' .\iss ealti:a. %tu\V,Itr
.tvrling and throwing stones, Wit whenl thty% stU-rted1'4 Using
- \lolot,ov ccktails" Ivoke bottle:- filled with flainw ker
't'neil, Wt, becamelt Seriou ly' alrm d. h saidl.
'rr r t liwalt'd An tht I.yV,um., n
.iiday milit - r-io tiu. BI4*o Ilt .h ll, m l hulh.'
elie n t t hoel iki as wi \ 1 ich ali. bel thve i nt p>rim 1. 4
Ahive.' finlger .
The 11h.61y .\ississippian,l mplne.apl m-di. 't
41ditorial ))(p'l, f c essation (,I hostilities. Thet paper l s
listed n1init reasonls for .\eredith" rejecz an. disregarding
hi.. rack, a ia, i.ssuc. Editor. Sidna Br()wer ig nored lwv.
.'et a statemeni'lt from heri.
I .ocal Oxfoitd week ly, The Oxford Eagle, state m'4 ml .
early Septe(mbler issue: "O)ne hundr141ed anti fourteeni year:
agEo a ftew. mleni ofi hlearig and a few ('ager' y ong mlenl
who:( detsired2i learn'linig . .. Ioounded thle t'in ier'sity o
laite' in tIhe eyese of mankIindi."
Thie st udenits of tis ame11 sta te tilmiverisityv ab1 andtierwdi
hat "d(esir1efo learnciing" inl favor o1f bo4(yctt ing tile enl
trlanle of1 a Ne'gro studenl'lt. (Classe> werei4 partijallyv haltetd
inl town anld 4)n the campulis Tuiesdayt. I.ihrarie': weret'I
de'st'ere antd stutdying se'emedl ab andoned . . a least
for' tIhe time.
F~ar.le editor, .\lrs*. N-ina1 G;otlsby. souledi1 ai vo1icet of
holpe when'i 51he said, "I hopet myl' ~i girls w.till gi to ( h.
\liss- afIter' Ihis is all tiver."
This5 hoUpe is ref'lectedi ill the town and 441 campulIii: 14:
ife' go44,s on - as life has a striange way of doiing:
farmert'i in blhue (denim 31ver.Cialls chew''.s t obacco ill the, court
'halnners' comulpete w.i th IConf1 edeiratet flag. ftr ii'pacet.
lTe di ffeirenlce is still pr'esentI tiough anad w.ill bet t ii
i 1tim': "Rhoss is liight" st ieker's ab1ound,Ili andi at man
readts inl tile Memphihis l'ress-Seimnitar "W''ihat \lake,'
'14b?" andit retadljusts his glasses.
When11 questijonedl abiouit the prtotecto 101 f' .\ler'edithI at
extria 4'1''cuilar act ivities. federal marshals r'epl ieid, "'Wi
hopie that t.he pieople' if .Mississippi will f'ulf'ill this oblligo4
tin we also hiopet that11 tilt local law enifor'cemenlt will
id teira job."
Anil all is quiet on the Southern firont.
ISSISSIPPI
OXOR-D'Oi N\hsN. The tOW lnt Oxfolvd. \lisis.sippi )ii
aI C4Heg IlMwn fa rxi atl 5.00(l peoplt. and toda,
Iis probaldy th1bggw little. tllw'1 inl America.
Thi, lit"Lc comnmlity, urroundAs Ite Ca11Mu (Af thlt
. -l1e4ity i the Justice Departmet
we.t trouble ti T lt.h to nl*'. a n niv tri,uhh
has be InI ca Ied i, it reet vqll .ari Ml vdit i
'!.et - iN .i tNog o b h fite r |e .li jil t
plicatioll t wa rej(*:ed lnd (1nly* thrmigh tle backingp llf
ftideral cou -. and "lt l. pr4ottel-tion i f 1'. S. Mlarsha il d : 11:
leredith bf-il able Ilt bhcamd 1 membller of Il. ' .
OJIppos it ion t( I, " *ier letl cale from iit*at t fficial
*tindi w i- lcilliaxed wh-er. th governt.r personally- st ppei
an1 attempt by .\eredithl ti nrI,()!] oll the lniveizity. A
hi., t 1it 'Ih-lit federal : tlvernimeni t miladt. I known t ha'
Merld iith a. . m oinl g t (l ln t * e enr1lle< vnt If t (tfficial:- it it I
nd( semthinli ab-ut . it and oin Sunday. septel be .
Mnl ' l - ere'di.h .i l ered i s i llit l es' !, }axtela. *I MV ..
e iene hall.
Suny ity ing ltgan with, a grtoup of tunve.,
iltiltrig i t t w ib1 4 1 t in ftrhe a- *lhe crowd choylre<
eaI I IIstdi lI I W}It Il h a S1a, t hihv (jdijit- it d I
Marshak \lIll. l hai bei reinf4ot-ed . - rtileglar al
r p, nd*. I. t .iv.ili population, \ho'. had rcs4lted tq
anyv aiVaihle t Ilwan: t *11 s t the marshals. Whe li h,
c t.a cdtt \i w i tv. \vert. dvad I'lme a n w t r
1-10 w d aild I lt ti- t .1 le-Ilet (if ) xfoIrd. t t .:Id( in
nitllt a i I I inj UrId b y1'1-ing l a and li t- n ilit Illt
evhr luinvan, <dat'1trictiow;. 'here. wert. 20' mlar hal - wt
letk- di cal it'ei tio'll. ttl tit- ll svrimi 4 Wilf vic'h w
M.11a ton 1h'. i,a:d het-n caugtin- :he n11 C bylCi I- .-I
hhts t and hadl hji juvuir1 Vvein scVerVd. Tht rifot wa.t
finally quenvichled by a ha oftvar. g'as from i hll
t it mII\ary.
.\ o d y c m a- ih a ra h o ikne n'f l
the own qua e laclun a ovin ma. as from4 t