BROADCASTS.com

By the 1950s, the Catholic Church was actively supporting racial equality and integration.\xa0 The Honorable Gerald Blessey, former Mayor of Biloxi recalls how growing up Catholic influenced his decision to become politically active in college.

While attending Ole\u2019 Miss as an undergrad, Blessey witnessed the riot sparked by the enrollment of the school\u2019s first black student, James Meredith. Later, as a law student, he assisted Civil Rights activists during the 1964 Freedom Summer.