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"Open Doors" recalls Episcopal presence at Ole Miss riots
By Lauren Wilkes Auttonberry
2002-239
10/17/2002
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[Episcopal News Service]
Forty years ago, in Oxford, Mississippi, two very different men came face-to-face on the lawn in front of the Lyceum Building on the campus of the University of Mississippi.
One was an imposing Texan, retired U.S. Army Major General Edwin Walker. The other was a thoughtful, peace-loving priest, the Rev. Duncan M. Gray, Jr. Both Episcopalians found themselves at odds over an event that would prove pivotal for the university--and for the entire country.
On that evening, September 30, 1962, Air Force veteran James Meredith was escorted to the Ole Miss campus under military protection so that he might complete his enrollment as the first African-American ever admitted to the prestigious institution.
A night of anguish
The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that Meredith must be admitted brought national attention to emotions surrounding a generation of intense hatred and misunderstanding. Hysterical rioters--students, community members and passionate racial separatists--amassed in front of the Lyceum in protest. The presence and fiery exhortations of Walker prodded them to madness.
At the same time, Gray, then rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Oxford, and the Rev. Wofford Smith, Episcopal chaplain to the university, cautiously circled the grounds, calmly confronting individuals and small groups and convincing numerous participants to give up their bricks, bottles and rocks. The two even helped usher the confused and wounded to the safety of the nearby YMCA building.
Although Gray and Smith offered a calming presence in contrast to the riots, before the evening was over, Gray would be ridiculed, threatened and even beaten by members of the impassioned crowd. Before the night ended, two men were dead and hundreds were injured. Federal troops occupied the campus until Meredith graduated the following May.
A long way to go
On September 30, 2002, Gray, who served as bishop of the Diocese of Mississippi from 1974-1993, spoke at a public service of Evening Prayer at St. Peter's. More than 140 people, including current and former students, faculty and community members, attended the service and the reception which followed. The gathering, exactly forty years after the 1962 riots, helped mark a day of commemoration and reflection as the University of Mississippi began a year-long observation entitled 'Open Doors: Building on 40 Years of Opportunity in Higher Education.'
Gray also was one of four speakers featured during a day of reunions and other events Oct. 1. He participated in a dinner on the grounds of the university featuring a gospel music program, a candle-lighting ceremony and a symbolic walk through the Lyceum from the grounds where the riots occurred.
Gray talked about his experiences in 1962, about having the courage to do the right thing, and he expressed optimism about the university's future and its recognition of the importance of accessibility by everyone. Although the University and the Diocese of Mississippi have come a long way, Gray said there is still, 'a long way to go.' 'The fact remains, so far from 1962, that those who have lived through that era, are thankful for the important, special effort of the university administration to really work on racial reconciliation; a concerted and conscious effort to build a diverse student body and faculty. The symbolism of the fortieth anniversary and of Meredith's recognition is something -- if not to celebrate -- then to give thanks about. The observance is to focus not so much on what's already been done, but on what still needs to be done.'
Year-long observance
During his campus visit, Gray also met Robert Smith, the former chaplain's son, who had come to Oxford for some personal reconciliation and closure on the difficulties and disappointments experienced by his father. Smith later said he had found some.
Gray's remarks preceded an address by Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of Medgar Evers, the Mississippi state field secretary for the NAACP who was instrumental in Meredith's admission to the university. Evers was assassinated by white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith in 1963.
Open Doors activities continue through September 2003, when the university hosts an international conference on race. A privately-funded memorial to the racial integration of higher education, designed by New York artist Terry Adkins, will be dedicated April 5.
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