Voting Station

James Meredith

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The Resume

    (June 25, 1933- )
    Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi
    Became the first black student to attend the University of Mississippi (October 1, 1962)
    Wrote ‘Three Years in Mississippi’ (1966) and ‘Mississippi: A Volume of Eleven Books’ (1995)

Why he might be annoying:

    His enrollment provoked riots that left 2 dead and 375 injured and required the US Marshals and 3,000 federal troops to quell.
    Although his enrollment is considered a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, he has repeatedly said that he does not want to be described as a civil rights activist.
    He called non-violent activism ‘the most un-American thing in the world… and the worst thing that’s ever been presented to my people.’
    He served as domestic affairs advisor for conservative Senator Jesse Helms.
    He endorsed former Klansman David Duke’s campaign for governor of Louisiana.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He served in the US Air Force for nine years (1951-60).
    He had tried to enroll at Ole Miss four previous times: twice he was personally blocked by the state governor, once by the lieutenant governor and 20 state troopers and once by a mob of 2,500 whites.
    During a voting-rights march, he was shot by a white sniper (June 6, 1966).
    He does not consider himself part of the civil rights movement because he was demanding the rights due any American citizen.
    He said that to gain access to the Library of Congress he offered his services to every member of the House and Senate, and Senator Helms was the only one to reply.
    He said, ‘I was always out of line. But I was deliberately out of line.’

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 6 Votes: 16.67% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 64 Votes: 42.19% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 11 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 93 Votes: 48.39% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 43 Votes: 48.84% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 15 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 17 Votes: 35.29% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 73 Votes: 68.49% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 38 Votes: 47.37% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 40 Votes: 47.50% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 61 Votes: 50.82% Annoying