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School of Journalism and New Media
University of Mississippi

From Riot to Remembrance: Student Journalists Cover the Ceremony

Posted on: October 1st, 2012 by

A candlelight vigil to celebrate 50 Years of Integration at the University of Mississippi. Sept. 30, 2012. Photo by Stephen Quinn

Hundreds of people gathered at the Ford Center on the 50th anniversary of the riot that changed Ole Miss forever. As the university paused to reflect on the years following the enrollment of James Meredith, broadcast journalism students covered the event for NewsWatch.

Reporter Stephen Quinn explored the pride some members of the university community are feeling and the promise that others are making.

The ceremony included a spiritual component, and reporter Gerard Manogin talked with local clergy about the role of religion in this historical event.

And James Meredith paved the way for thousands of students who came after him. Reporter Margaret Ann Morgan shows us how the event looked through the eyes of an African-American student.