--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Only whites were allowed by law and…" description: "\"Only whites were allowed by law and practice to attend the University of Mississippi - a public institution supported by public dollars. Anything publi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73d/james-meredith-18433_allowed_only-whites-were-allowed-by-law-and-prac_897639.png" --- # Only whites were allowed by law and practice to attend the… ![“Only whites were allowed by law and practice to attend the University of Mississippi - a public institution supported by public dollars. Anything public and supported by public dollars is for me.” quote by James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73d/james-meredith-18433_allowed_only-whites-were-allowed-by-law-and-prac_897639.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73d/james-meredith-18433_allowed_only-whites-were-allowed-by-law-and-prac_897639.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73d/james-meredith-18433_allowed_only-whites-were-allowed-by-law-and-prac_897639.png) > “Only whites were allowed by law and practice to attend the University of Mississippi - a public institution supported by public dollars. Anything public and supported by public dollars is for me.” [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights the contradiction between public funding and segregation, emphasizing that public resources should be accessible to all. **In simple terms:** Public money should serve everyone, not just a privileged few. Key Takeaway Demand equal access to publicly funded institutions. Themes civil rights segregation public policy equality Mood reflective determined critical Type political historical When to use this quote - higher education - taxpayer rights - community activism Key Concepts social justice institutional racism public funding Questions to Reflect On - How does public funding influence fairness? - What steps can ensure true inclusivity? A Different Perspective Segregation laws can be entrenched despite moral arguments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Mississippi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mississippi/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) ## Related quotes > [I chose as my target the University of Mississippi, which in 1960 was the holiest temple of white supremacy in America, next to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/i-chose-as-my-target-the-university-of-mississippi-which-in-1960-was/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [Had it not been for James Meredith, who was willing to risk his life, the University of Mississippi would still be all white.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-baker-motley/had-it-not-been-for-james-meredith-who-was-willing-to-risk-his-life/) [Constance Baker Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-baker-motley/) > [“Clennon King, a black student who applied to the University of Mississippi in 1958, was forcefully committed to a mental asylum. The presiding judge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/clennon-king-a-black-student-who-applied-to-the-university-of/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [I am thankful for the strong, united response of our university community to the desecration of the James Meredith statue last year, confirming our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/i-am-thankful-for-the-strong-united-response-of-our-university/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [My statue at Ole Miss is a false idol. And it wasn't put there for my benefit. It was put there for Ole Miss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/my-statue-at-ole-miss-is-a-false-idol-and-it-wasn-t-put-there-for-my/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [There are a million Negroes in Mississippi. I think they'll take care of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/there-are-a-million-negroes-in-mississippi-i-think-they-ll-take-care/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [You gotta understand, the state of Mississippi was in rebellion. It had rebelled against the United States...Now that has been a very difficult story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/you-gotta-understand-the-state-of-mississippi-was-in-rebellion-it-had/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [The real problem in Mississippi is almost a complete moral breakdown. In order to move Mississippi from the bottom to the top, all we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/the-real-problem-in-mississippi-is-almost-a-complete-moral-breakdown/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [I mean a real police state just to get a token recognition of a law. It take, it took, I think, 15,000 troops and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/i-mean-a-real-police-state-just-to-get-a-token-recognition-of-a-law/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/to-understand-the-world-you-must-first-understand-a-place-like/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“The only thing worse than saying something boring is to quote someone else's boring saying”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-owens/the-only-thing-worse-than-saying-something-boring-is-to-quote-someone/) Lee Owens > [Barge traffic on the Mississippi River represents the most efficient, most cost-effective, most environmentally sound means of transporting commodity goods from this region of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-boswell/barge-traffic-on-the-mississippi-river-represents-the-most-efficient/) [Leonard Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-boswell/) > [Since I was a kid, I've had an absolute obsession with particular kinds of American music. Mississippi Delta blues of the Thirties, Chicago blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/since-i-was-a-kid-i-ve-had-an-absolute-obsession-with-particular/) [Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/) > [I was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1969, in a time and place where no one was saying, 'Look how far we've come,' because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-stockett/i-was-born-in-jackson-mississippi-in-1969-in-a-time-and-place-where/) [Kathryn Stockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-stockett/) > [“Maybe he was destined to die under the fading shadow of a plastic dinosaur surrounded by pickpockets, hookers, and panhandlers, but at least he’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-kadrey/maybe-he-was-destined-to-die-under-the-fading-shadow-of-a-plastic/) [Richard Kadrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-kadrey/) ## More by James Meredith > [My momma was slick as greased lightning. She knew how to get anybody and everybody to do whatever she wanted 'em to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/my-momma-was-slick-as-greased-lightning-she-knew-how-to-get-anybody/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [Nothing has been more detrimental to me than to be considered a symbol, because I never stood for any of that... The civil rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/nothing-has-been-more-detrimental-to-me-than-to-be-considered-a/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [There are a million Negroes in Mississippi. I think theyll take care of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/there-are-a-million-negroes-in-mississippi-i-think-theyll-take-care/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [I had developed a specifically calculated plan to break the system of white supremacy. My theory was that since Mississippi was the place, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/i-had-developed-a-specifically-calculated-plan-to-break-the-system-of/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > ['Blacks were too scared to do anything, but they came out to greet James Meredith': That would have been the story in the evening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/blacks-were-too-scared-to-do-anything-but-they-came-out-to-greet/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [I am thankful for the strong, united response of our university community to the desecration of the James Meredith statue last year, confirming our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/i-am-thankful-for-the-strong-united-response-of-our-university/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [The day for the Negro man being a coward is over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/the-day-for-the-negro-man-being-a-coward-is-over/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [The real problem in Mississippi is almost a complete moral breakdown. In order to move Mississippi from the bottom to the top, all we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/the-real-problem-in-mississippi-is-almost-a-complete-moral-breakdown/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [If black people use their resources properly, they can become as competitive as any group in society - take control of our neighborhoods, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/if-black-people-use-their-resources-properly-they-can-become-as/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [Walk Against Fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/walk-against-fear/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [You gotta understand, the state of Mississippi was in rebellion. It had rebelled against the United States...Now that has been a very difficult story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/you-gotta-understand-the-state-of-mississippi-was-in-rebellion-it-had/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [I was taught to believe that the most dishonorable thing a Meredith could do was work in a white woman's kitchen and take care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/i-was-taught-to-believe-that-the-most-dishonorable-thing-a-meredith/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [There are a million Negroes in Mississippi. I think they'll take care of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/there-are-a-million-negroes-in-mississippi-i-think-they-ll-take-care/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [Nothing is a bigger waste of time than regretting the past and worrying about the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/nothing-is-a-bigger-waste-of-time-than-regretting-the-past-and/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [When it comes to my rights as an American citizen, and yours, I am a triumphalist and an absolutist. Anything less is an insult,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/when-it-comes-to-my-rights-as-an-american-citizen-and-yours-i-am-a/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) [Explore all 35 James Meredith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) ## More Allowed quotes > [I just think that things should be allowed to run their course, and not turned into a Disney ride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/i-just-think-that-things-should-be-allowed-to-run-their-course-and/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) > [There aren't traditions of freedom in a place like Iraq. 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In a way, 'Swingers' was the thing I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-always-wanted-to-make-big-action-movies-as-a-kid-and-that-was-my/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) > [For years, I had a top secret clearance and never left Russia. Just once did I go to Bulgaria with my wife for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/for-years-i-had-a-top-secret-clearance-and-never-left-russia-just/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) > [Keep in mind, I'm not allowed to be tough. I'm tamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/keep-in-mind-i-m-not-allowed-to-be-tough-i-m-tamed/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [As a child, we lived in flats, and I was never allowed pets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pigott-smith/as-a-child-we-lived-in-flats-and-i-was-never-allowed-pets/) [Tim Pigott-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pigott-smith/) > [I'm not allowed to date. My dad said so. Not until I'm, like, 90.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-hogan/i-m-not-allowed-to-date-my-dad-said-so-not-until-i-m-like-90/) [Brooke Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-hogan/) > [I've grown up playing for some incredible coaches, and I don't think anybody's ever been as fortunate as I have in terms of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-brown/i-ve-grown-up-playing-for-some-incredible-coaches-and-i-don-t-think/) [Larry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-brown/) > [I respect Chris Brown. I'd like to call myself a friend - I don't know if I'm allowed to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/i-respect-chris-brown-i-d-like-to-call-myself-a-friend-i-don-t-know/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [I was never bothered about my position in the industry. 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