What drove James Meredith to begin the March Against Fear? Did he shape the march after he was shot? Was he just an odd loner, or should we pay more attention to his ideas and influence?
What did the shooting of James Meredith reveal about the state of the civil rights movement in June of 1966? How did people of differing political persuasions interpret this event?
What compelled different civil rights organizations to take up Meredith’s march? What were the different agendas of SNCC, CORE, SCLC, the NAACP, and the Urban League? Who communicated their message most effectively?
What did Stokely Carmichael and SNCC mean by calling for Black Power? How did it grow out of their personal and political experiences prior to the March Against Fear? Was this slogan a break from the civil rights movement, or was it a continuation of the civil rights movement?
What was Martin Luther King’s role during the Meredith March? From his perspective, was this march a triumph or a tragedy?
What did the march reveal about politics in Mississippi by 1966? What were the differences between the MFDP and the NAACP? How did Governor Paul Johnson and other white authorities in Mississippi approach the march, and how did their strategy evolve?
Were their significant differences between black and white marchers? Why or why not?
Why did SNCC choose to unveil Black Power in Greenwood? How did different marchers, reporters, and politicians interpret the meaning of Black Power?
What role, if any, did Lyndon Johnson and the federal government play on the march?
Why were the marchers attacked by tear gas in Canton? Was it related to the violence they faced on the side trip to Philadelphia, Mississippi?
