Final answer:
James Meredith led Ole Miss into the modern era by becoming the first African American student to attend the university, symbolizing the desegregation of higher education in the South.
Step-by-step explanation:
The individual who led Ole Miss into the modern era and made history in the process was James Meredith. In 1962, Meredith became the first African American student at the University of Mississippi, an event that marked a crucial moment in the civil rights movement and the school's desegregation. His admission was a significant step in integrating higher education in the American South, and it came after a hard-fought legal battle, culminating in federal enforcement to ensure his attendance in the face of violent opposition. Meredith's courage and the support of civil rights activists and federal forces made this historic integration at Ole Miss possible.
Medgar Evers also played a crucial role by leading the fight to secure Meredith's admission through the U.S. Court of Appeals, which affirmed that the university must admit him. This occurred during a volatile period when Governor Ross Barnett vehemently opposed Meredith's enrollment, citing it as a crisis for the state of Mississippi.
The integration of Ole Miss is an emblematic example of broader efforts by African American activists and scholars such as Carter G. Woodson and others who pushed for the recognition and inclusion of black perspectives within the larger narrative of U.S. history.