Mississippi Letters

September 1959

Today was my first day at Mississippi University. I was marched into the school by policemen and military troops; they were swarmed around me, protecting me as if I was precious cargo. In any other situation of being surrounded by this many police I would be dead before I could take my last breath. It is different being treated like this; it almost makes me feel like an ordinary white man. Then I heard the yelling of an angry crowd, students, reporters and even some of the general public were there. They were sneering slurs at me and throwing bricks at me, after that I was overly aware of my dark skin contrasting against everyone else’s. I don’t belong here; the mob has made that very clear to me. The guards walked me up to

People in class have finally been getting used to the fact a black man is there. No one has pushed me or spat at me in a few weeks. I’m mostly getting ignored now; they must be getting bored of me. I believe people can only be hateful towards someone else for so long before it starts to affect them. The hate letters have thinned out now, and to my surprise I have been receiving letters of encouragement. The letters are mostly from other black students from university, but I do get some from young children in high school and even some older people commending me on my courage. While I do think it’s rather kind of them, I don’t see myself as someone who deserves this. I am no one special; I’m not Martin Luther king, I’m just some guy getting an education for myself. It did make me start thinking of the future, these kids writing to me, what is there life going to be like? I wonder if they will have a proper chance at life, or if they will be forced into a box of oppression. Imagine living in a world where everyone has equal opportunities. Imagine a world where black and white people aren’t separate, where black people can go to any school in America. I want black people to not fear the police, because they would be on their side. Would we ever achieve this though? I highly doubt it would happen in my life time. I can’t stand to think about another generation of children growing up how I