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March Against Fear
In June 1966, Jackson was the end point of the James Meredith March or the March Against Fear, organized by James Meredith, the first African American to enroll at the University of Mississippi on Oct. 1, 1962, amongst violent opposition. The march, which began in Memphis, Tenn., was an attempt to garner support for the Civil Rights Movement and was accompanied by a drive to register African Americans to vote in Mississippi. In this latter aim, it succeeded in registering between 2,500 and 3,000 black Mississippians to vote. Meredith was shot by a sniper shortly after the march began, but other [[civil rights’’ activists and groups stepped in to help it continue. The march ended in Jackson on June 26 after Meredith, who had been able to rejoin the group the day before, addressed a large rally of some 15,000 people.
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