Smithsonian Channel Documentaries
Walk Against Fear: James Meredith
2020 • E23 Sep 30, 2020 44m
James Meredith was a civil rights hero unlike any other. He took on the University of Mississippi and the state's governor to desegregate the school, a fight that triggered the largest mobilization of federal troops on U.S. soil since the Civil War. He began a one-man "Walk Against Fear" to encourage Black Mississippians to register to vote, which became a national event after he was shot. Despite his monumental achievements, few people know who he is. Now, this icon, who forged his own path for change, shares his story, in his own words.