James Meredith, along with other participants in 1966’s March Against Fear, led the march through downtown Jackson Sunday for people who walked from the Smith Robertson Museum up to the State Capitol in commemoration of a significant step in Mississippi’s civil right campaign. “Fifty-years ago, I stood on the same steps greeting those thousands and thousands who gathered for our cause. Flonzie Brown Wright, a civil rights veteran, said that Mr. Meredith was a friend who believed he could make an impact and that he did. While many of those marchers have died, a few of them came to the Capitol to commemorate the march that Meredith started as a single effort and grew to attract national leaders in the civil rights movement. They registered thousands of black voters along the way. “In 1966 we were in rebellion against the South and the state of Mississippi. Dorie Ladner, another veteran civil rights activist, said that she is just amazed at the calm today. James Harris, of the James Meredith Institute for Citizenship and Responsible Action stated that today’s theme is “The Walk for Good and Right.” Meredith was the first black person to integrate the University of Mississippi on June 5, 1966. He wanted to show that a black man can confidently walk the Mississippi highways. He was then shot and taken to the hospital. Meredith’s civil rights movement was then resumed by national and state leaders. Meredith was part of the march that took place from Canton to Tougaloo College, and then to the Capitol. Hollis Watkins sang “Freedom come, it won’t take long”, a riff on Harry Belafonte’s 1956 Jamaican folk song Day O, just moments before Meredith spoke. Meredith stated, “God allowed me to only say these seven things.” “Number one is God’s message to us. “Number 2: What blacks can do for themselves in Mississippi. “Number three: Every black community in Mississippi needs to refocus on the good and the right. “Number 4: We should teach our children the right way. “Number five: Teach every child the 10 commandments by the age of five. “Number six: Mississippi’s most important people are black women aged over 30. Meredith said that number seven should be made godmothers. Vijay Shah from Cleveland, Ohio participated in the commemoration events. “Walking in their footsteps. Shah stated that today is the culmination all of those. “Back then, they were young people just like us. Now they are in their 60s and 70s, and they are grandparents. This makes it easy to reflect on where you are today and what they did. It makes you want to support them and keep it going. To celebrate our Spring Member Drive, you can make a regular donation to support this important work. Our reporters give a human face to policy’s impact on everyday Mississippians by listening more closely and understanding their communities. To ensure that our work is aligned with the priorities and needs of Mississippians, we are listening to you. Click the button below to let us know what you think. This Story Republished