Today in labor history: James Meredith shot

June 6, 2013 2:45 PM CST By Special to People’s World

On this day in 1966, civil rights activist James Meredith was shot while leading the March Against Fear from Memphis to Jackson, Mississippi. Meredith later rejoined the march which registered several thousand people to vote.

In 1961 supported by the NAACP, he filed suit against the state of Mississippi for refusing admission to the University of Mississippi and became the first African American admitted. Meredith became a Republican and worked for a time for Jesse Helms.

Photo: Flickr (CC)

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Special to People’s World

People’s World is a voice for progressive change and socialism in the United States. It provides news and analysis of, by, and for the labor and democratic movements to our readers across the country and around the world. People’s World traces its lineage to the Daily Worker newspaper, founded by communists, socialists, union members, and other activists in Chicago in 1924.