Press Releases 2007
U.S. Embassy Organizes James H. Meredith Visit
October 12, 2007
From October 12-20, James H. Meredith, U.S. writer and one of the most prominent people in U.S. civil rights history, will be in Montenegro to conduct a serious of lectures and discussions about minority rights in a multiethnic society. He will meet with students, professors, NGO representatives, and civil servants. Mr. Meredith will speak about the protection of civil rights in the United States and other countries, including legislation, implementing mechanisms, and the historical context to local audiences in Podgorica, Bijelo Polje and Ulcinj. Mr. Meredith's program is organized by the U.S. Embassy in Podgorica in cooperation with the NGO Center for Human and Minority Rights in Podgorica.
In 1962, James H. Meredith became the first African-American student to ever attend the University of Mississippi. This event is a pivotal point in the civil rights movement in the U.S. President John Kennedy sent 33,000 federal troops to escort Meredith because local authorities were blocking him physically coming on campus. The riots which ensued left two people dead. In 1966 Mr. Meredith himself was shot while conducting his solo 220-mile March against Fear from Memphis Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi.
Mr. Meredith's wife Judy Meredith, a mass communication expert and general manager of Jackson State University TV station, will accompany him on his trip to Montenegro. She has had over 25 years experience as a journalist. She will also give several presentations about university media and women rights for both Montenegrin students and general public.
For more details about the Merediths' program in Montenegro and for all media requests for the interviews, please contact Sasa Brajovic on +382 67 283 542.
For more information on the U.S. Government's programs in Montenegro, please visit the Embassy's web site at http://podgorica.usembassy.gov.