Ghosts of Ole Miss (2012)

• 67%
• 2012
• Documentary
• Fritz Mitchell
• Wright Thompson
• James Meredith
• Dan Rather

In the fall of 1962, a dramatic series of events made Civil Rights history and changed a way of life. On the eve of James Meredith becoming the first African-American to attend class at the University of Mississippi, the campus erupted into a night of rioting between those opposed to the integration of the school and those trying to enforce it. Before the rioting ended, the National Guard and Federal troops were called in to put an end to the violence and enforce Meredith's rights as an American citizen. Two people died and hundreds more were injured during the riots. Against this backdrop, the University of Mississippi football team was in the early stages of what would prove to be an unprecedented season in school history. Directed by Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Fritz Mitchell, "Ghosts of Ole Miss" explores the intersection of that football team with the Civil Rights history being made on campus. Told through the perspective of writer and Mississippi native Wright Thompson, the film explores the tumultuous events that not only continue to shape the state half a century later, but also led to his discovery of a personal family connection to the story.