Project Summary

When James Meredith became the first African American student at the University of Mississippi, protests and riots ensued. Months later, in 1963, twenty-eight Methodist ministers signed a declaration called "Born of Conviction", which condemned racism and supported racial integration. This project focuses on a few of the ministers who drafted and signed the document. Interviewees talk about their beliefs, concerns they had about racial segregation, and motives for signing the declaration. Also discussed are the serious consequences for the pastors who chose to support this anti-racism movement.