James Meredith said Thursday that the Ed Meek book, RIOT: Witness To Anger And Change, is the “best of hundreds” written about the events surrounding Meredith’s admission to The University of Mississippi in 1962.
Meredith and Meek appeared for the fist time on stage at a book signing in Jackson.
Meredith’s admission to Ole Miss in 1962 was accompanied by a riot resulting in two deaths, and calm was brought to Oxford and Ole Miss by 30,000 troops sent in by President John F. Kennedy.
Meredith had never seen most of the 120 photo images published in the book for the first time by the Meek School of Journalism and New Media and the Yoknapatawpha Press.
“I read the book three times, and it is the best of all. There is one photo in there that will last a thousand years,” Meredith said. He referred to the cover photo of students standing at the front door of the Lyceum Building, blocked by troops of the 101st Airborne Division with bayonet mounted rifles.
Meek will show and describe photos from the book at a signing at Booksellers at Laurelwood in Memphis on Monday, Sept 14.
