--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I did at Ole Miss had nothing to do…" description: "\"What I did at Ole Miss had nothing to do with going to classes. My objective was to destroy the system of white supremacy.\" — James Meredith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/james-meredith-18433_destroy_what-i-did-at-ole-miss-had-nothing-to-do_2978077.png" --- # What I did at Ole Miss had nothing to do with going to… ![“What I did at Ole Miss had nothing to do with going to classes. My objective was to destroy the system of white supremacy.” quote by James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/james-meredith-18433_destroy_what-i-did-at-ole-miss-had-nothing-to-do_2978077.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/james-meredith-18433_destroy_what-i-did-at-ole-miss-had-nothing-to-do_2978077.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/james-meredith-18433_destroy_what-i-did-at-ole-miss-had-nothing-to-do_2978077.png) > “What I did at Ole Miss had nothing to do with going to classes. My objective was to destroy the system of white supremacy.” [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. He prioritized dismantling racial oppression over personal academic goals. **In simple terms:** He chose activism over classes. Key Takeaway Focus on systemic change. Themes civil rights activism racial justice Mood determined defiant Type historical inspirational When to use this quote - student protests - community organizing - policy reform Key Concepts systemic oppression nonviolent protest personal sacrifice Questions to Reflect On - How can individuals balance personal goals with activism? - What risks are worth taking for justice? A Different Perspective Changing a system is complex and risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Classes Objective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classes-objective-4617665/) [Destroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroy/) [Destroy White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroy-white-4617664/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Miss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miss/) [Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing/) [Objective Destroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objective-destroy-1659199/) [Ole Miss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ole-miss-1436838/) [System](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/system/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) [White supremacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-supremacy/) ## Related quotes > [My objective is to destroy anybody over 200 pounds, in the ring or out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/my-objective-is-to-destroy-anybody-over-200-pounds-in-the-ring-or-out/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [“I am not out to destroy all the white race — only a small part of it: myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-am-not-out-to-destroy-all-the-white-race-only-a-small-part-of-it/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [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/) > [I cherish my time at Ole Miss. I cherish those four years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-manning/i-cherish-my-time-at-ole-miss-i-cherish-those-four-years/) [Archie Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-manning/) > [When I was at Ole Miss, I called my dad up one time and said, Hey, Dad, have you ever looked at your stats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-manning/when-i-was-at-ole-miss-i-called-my-dad-up-one-time-and-said-hey-dad/) [Eli Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-manning/) > [I've said publicly, and it's true, I've had a lot of wonderful things come my way. But personally, the greatest thing I ever accomplished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-manning/i-ve-said-publicly-and-it-s-true-i-ve-had-a-lot-of-wonderful-things/) [Archie Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-manning/) > [When I came to Ole Miss, everyone expected me to bring the program back to its glory days. I didn't want to put that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-manning/when-i-came-to-ole-miss-everyone-expected-me-to-bring-the-program/) [Eli Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-manning/) > [I'd love to study in the U.S. I visited Vanderbilt in Nashville, and I've been told to check out Ole Miss. There are so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-adornetto/i-d-love-to-study-in-the-u-s-i-visited-vanderbilt-in-nashville-and-i/) [Alexandra Adornetto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-adornetto/) > [“What I learned playing basketball at Ole Miss," he said, "was what not to do: beat up a kid. It's easy to beat up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/what-i-learned-playing-basketball-at-ole-miss-he-said-was-what-not-to/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [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/) > [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/) > [I don't draw any distinctions between forms of bigotry or forms of ideology that lose sight of the humanity of people. I can't stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-don-t-draw-any-distinctions-between-forms-of-bigotry-or-forms-of/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [“Bombs kill terrorists, Books kill terrorism. Missiles kill extremists, Mindfulness kills extremism. Guns kill supremacists, Goodness kills supremacy. Law restrains cruel people, Love reforms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/bombs-kill-terrorists-books-kill-terrorism-missiles-kill-extremists/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“I understood intersectionality—the way that white supremacy props up patriarchy props up poverty props up environmental destruction props up white supremacy again—on a gut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-tobia/i-understood-intersectionality-the-way-that-white-supremacy-props-up/) [Jacob Tobia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-tobia/) > [They've changed the name from white supremacy to white separatists, to white nationalists, to alt-right. It's the same thing. A rose by any other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/they-ve-changed-the-name-from-white-supremacy-to-white-separatists-to/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) ## 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/) > [Only whites were allowed by law and practice to attend the University of Mississippi - a public institution supported by public dollars. Anything public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/only-whites-were-allowed-by-law-and-practice-to-attend-the-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/) [Explore all 35 James Meredith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) ## More Destroy quotes > [“That would be just like me-ruin everything, destroy the world, in a moment of klutziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/that-would-be-just-like-me-ruin-everything-destroy-the-world-in-a/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [We shall fight against them, throw them in prisons and destroy them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/we-shall-fight-against-them-throw-them-in-prisons-and-destroy-them/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [How could you justify giving Holland twice the amount of money that you gave Belgium? 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