Final answer:
James Meredith faced violent opposition when he attempted to integrate the University of Mississippi, known as Ole Miss, in 1962. His enrollment, which was a landmark event in the Civil Rights Movement, ultimately occurred with the support of federal marshals sent by President Kennedy to enforce the desegregation order.
Step-by-step explanation:
Violence erupted in 1962 when James Meredith attempted to integrate the University of Mississippi, an event that became a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. James Meredith's enrollment at the University of Mississippi, commonly known as Ole Miss, was met with violent opposition which required the intervention of federal marshals on order from President Kennedy. The governor of Mississippi, Ross Barnett, had refused to allow Meredith to register, which led to a constitutional crisis that President Kennedy addressed by sending federal marshals to uphold the court's desegregation order. Despite the violent riots, resulting in more than two hundred arrests and the deaths of two people, James Meredith was admitted and graduated the following year.
Meredith's efforts were part of a larger struggle against segregation in the Deep South, with many civil rights activists facing severe violence, including drive-by shootings and arson. His admittance to the University of Mississippi was a significant event that helped to publicize the continued efforts needed to challenge segregation and disenfranchisement of black residents in the Deep South despite federal laws.