Final answer:
James Meredith was the first black student to attend the University of Mississippi after winning admittance through a federal court. His enrollment faced violent opposition, leading to President Kennedy sending federal marshals to enforce the desegregation order. Meredith persevered through harassment and violence to graduate from Ole Miss.
Step-by-step explanation:
The role James Meredith played in integrating the University of Mississippi was pivotal and historic. He was the first black student to attend the institution, often referred to as Ole Miss, after his admittance won through a federal court case. His enrollment was met with fierce resistance from the Governor Ross Barnett, leading to a constitutional crisis that necessitated the intervention of federal forces.
President Kennedy responded to this defiance of a federal court order by deploying federal marshals to ensure Meredith's enrollment. The crisis escalated into anti-integration riots that resulted in over two hundred arrests and the deaths of two people. Despite daily harassment and danger, Meredith managed to graduate from Ole Miss the following year.
Meredith's courage and the consequent actions taken by the federal government were a significant step in the fight against segregation and exemplified the ongoing struggle for civil rights during that era.