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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to commemorate the 50th anniversary of
4James Meredith's graduation from the University of
5Mississippi; and
 
6    WHEREAS, James Howard Meredith was born on June 25, 1933 in
7Kosciusko, Mississippi, and was raised on a farm with his 9
8brothers and sisters; he first experienced institutionalized
9racism while riding a train from Chicago with his brother; when
10the train arrived in Memphis, Tennessee, he was ordered to give
11up his seat and move to the crowded black section of the train,
12where he had to stand for the rest of his trip home; this event
13spurred him to dedicate his life to ensuring equal treatment
14for African-Americans; and
 
15    WHEREAS, After high school, James Meredith served in the
16United States Air Force for 9 years before enrolling in Jackson
17State College, an all-black school, in Mississippi; in 1961, he
18applied to the all-white University of Mississippi; he was
19admitted, but his admission was withdrawn when the registrar
20discovered his race; this action, done in violation of Brown v.
21Board of Education ruling, which ordered all public educational
22institutions to desegregate by this time, prompted him to file
23suit against the university alleging discrimination; although

 

 

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1the district court ruled against him, the case made its way to
2the United States Supreme Court, which ruled in his favor; and
 
3    WHEREAS, When James Meredith arrived at the University of
4Mississippi to register for classes on September 20, 1962, he
5found the entrance blocked; after riots erupted, United States
6Marshals, military police, troops from the Mississippi
7National Guard, and officials from the United States Border
8Patrol were sent to quell the disturbances; on October 1, 1962,
9he became the first black student to enroll at the University
10of Mississippi, which has become known as a watershed moment in
11the civil rights movement; in 1963, he graduated from the
12University of Mississippi with a degree in political science;
13and
 
14    WHEREAS, After graduating from the University of
15Mississippi, James Meredith earned his Master's Degree in
16economics from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria and his law
17degree from Columbia University in 1968; from 1989 to 1991, he
18served as a domestic adviser to United States Senator Jesse
19Helms; and
 
20    WHEREAS, James Meredith was the recipient of the Harvard
21Graduate School of Education's Medal for Education Impact on
22May 29, 2013 for his work in promoting school preparedness and
23building moral character in our nation's youth; therefore, be

 

 

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1it
 
2    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
3NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
4we commemorate the 50th anniversary of James Meredith's
5graduation from the University of Mississippi and thank Mr.
6Meredith for his pioneering work in ensuring the equal
7treatment of all; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That we congratulate James Meredith on the
9occasion of his 80th birthday and wish him many happy and
10healthy years to come; and be it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
12presented to James Meredith as a symbol of our respect and
13esteem.