In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Western New Mexico University is broadcasting a message from alumnus James Meredith, whose life and mission has been closely tied with King’s. The university is also recognizing two students with the 2021 WNMU/Grant County Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award.
Lifelong activist and 1951 graduate, Meredith is best known for his actions spurring the integration of the University of Mississippi after clerk/typist training at WNMU — then New Mexico Western College. His 1966 March Against Fear, during which he suffered injury from a failed assassination attempt, was also a key demonstration within the civil rights movement and was continued by the likes of Martin Luther King Jr.
With an introduction from WNMU Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Dr. Isaac Brundage, Meredith’s recorded address demonstrates the Silver City institution’s impact on his life.
“A whole lot of water’s crossed under the bridge, but there’s no question in my mind the role New Mexico Western College played in my good fortune through my life,” Meredith said in an interview for the fall 2020 Westerner alumni magazine.
Annually, WNMU recognizes a selection of citizens who are making meaningful contributions toward a brighter future. The 2021 WNMU/Grant County Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award Recipients and Hall of Fame inductees are WNMU students Victoria Marin and Leshauntai Adams, who organized Grant County’s largest peaceful protest.
Accepting the award, Marin said her ancestors were involved in peaceful protests, even taking part in the Salt of the Earth labor strike locally. “If you are not educated on these situations, please education yourself. You can always learn and grow,” she said.
Both portions of the WNMU Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration are available for a limited time at wnmu.edu/mlk-2021.