If you attend the University of Mississippi, are an alumnus, or have simply read the news then you’ve probably heard that on Oct. 20, 2015 the Ole Miss ASB Senate has voted in favor of asking the university to take down the Mississippi State Flag. With the issues the Confederate flag has caused, specifically as of late, it isn’t really a big surprise that the state flag would come under speculation about whether or not it is deemed “appropriate” anymore. What some people are finding surprising is the lack of opportunity to voice their differing thoughts and opinions. The University of Mississippi ASB Senate came to a consensus Tuesday night, but what some find troubling is that the student body as a whole was not given a chance to express their thoughts and concerns about the matter. This is in no way to place blame on the ASB Senate or anyone else. The point of this article is to express varying viewpoints from Ole Miss affiliates that otherwise may have gone unheard.
Instead of doing individual interviews, I conducted a non-probability survey and administered it online via social media outlets (like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn), meaning, you must have had online access and social media to have taken it. I received 175 responses in less than 24 hours. Although this is not a perfect representation of the Ole Miss student, alumni, etc., population as a whole, it’s an excellent starting point. The participants were asked what their affiliation to Ole Miss was, their age, if they were a Mississippi resident currently (or ever before), if they were not a resident then what state are they a resident of, ethnicity, political alignment, and most importantly if they were in favor to have the flag removed from campus and why.
At first, I was concerned that no one would actually take the survey. Quickly enough I saw that participants would not be my issue, but instead how to do the participants’ voices justice. There are indeed articles that already voice the opposing viewpoint (not in favor of removal). It seems though to be mainly from ASB Senate member Andrew Soper and KKK members, in which honestly I am surprised that anyone would ask the latter for opinions, because it led to them saying “Black lives don’t matter.” Was anyone expecting them to say anything different? Why were they interviewed when it’s well known that the group holds an extreme viewpoint (to put it nicely) and how exactly do these people represent the University of Mississippi at all? But I digress.
Before I present my findings and what some participants had to say about the resolution to remove the flag, I want to make it clear: the purpose of this survey and this article is not about race. Only 175 students of approximately 20,000 took this survey, and I am in no way inferring in these results that ethnicity equals a “yay or nay.” It would be wrong of me to say there’s a correlation or relationship when it’s such a small sample taken from such a large population. The same can be said about political viewpoints. If you throw all pre-conceived stereotypes aside, I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised. All this being said, let’s dig in.
Photo by Sarah R. Martin
One hundred thirty-five students responded to this survey, with the rest being alumni and a few “other” affiliations. Of these current students, 68 percent are Mississippi residents. I’m sure this information is boring and some may find it irrelevant. The reason I’m telling you these specifics is because there are arguments that “People who do not even live in the state should have no say over the matter,” as 19-year-old Ashley Stewart puts it. There were several other responses that voiced the same idea. There are more respondents who are not in favor for the resolution, but only by 20 people. Of the 175 participants, 135 answered, and only 128 responded to whether or not they’re in favor of removing the flag (the other 7 being “unsure”).
Let’s first look at those who are against the flag being taken down on campus. One common reasoning is because of heritage and the history of the South. An anonymous participant explained, “History is what this country is about... Just because it [the flag] was something bad back then, it is not bad now.” A similar response comes from another anonymous responder. They said, “I believe the flag should stay where it is. It represents a piece of history that happened...The flag’s history is what makes it important. It doesn't represent the future, it represents what we went through to have this amazing present.”Both of these respondents have very valid points. One could argue that there are people who use the Confederate symbol to represent a darker time in the South, but in reality, most are just proud to live in their state, and proud of what their state has now become;not what it was well over a century ago. A few does not equal everyone. David Housh, a 24-year-old student, also feels very strongly about leaving the past in the past. He responded to the question with:
“Any item has a certain representation: positive or negative. Whichever way you look at it. People look at the flag as a negative symbol about our past. Yes, there was slavery; no it doesn't exist around here anymore. There will always be racism like there will always be poverty and world hunger. We can see the flag as a representation of what we have accomplished and have been able to move on from. We need to stop dwelling on the past and focus on the future. The history of Mississippi has shaped the way Ole Miss is but yet they want to change this great college. Why?”
The other main reason people are having an issue with the possibility of the Mississippi Flag being taken down, is simply because it is the state flag and the University of Mississippi is state funded. Twenty-year-old Ethan Pettigrew described his reasoning in this way:
“This is the flag of the State of Mississippi. As the flagship university of the state, I believe all of the Ole Miss community should take pride in the history of the university and the state. I believe it takes a stronger person to own that flag and our history than it does to just try to hide it. If the state legislation resolves to change the state flag, then of course the new flag should be flown over the university.”
According to the local DM, in an interview with an ASB Senator Tuesday night, it’s said that the “University [is] not required to fly the state flag, despite it being public and funded by the state.” Although it isn’t necessarily required, will that discourage the state when it comes to helping fund the university? A participant, who chose to remain anonymous, says that maybe the ASB Senate should have used their power a little differently. “While I do think that the Mississippi State flag's incorporation of the Confederate flag makes it an inflammatory symbol in need of revision, I firmly believe that the University of Mississippi, being a public university and a state-funded institution, should continue to fly the flag. ASB should have used their momentum on this issue to propose a formal petition to the state of Mississippi and call for a revision of the flag, instead of the enacted resolution.”
Photo by Ariel Cobbert | The DM
If I listed every response, this article would turn into a full report. To summarize everyone’s opinions for not taking the flag down, it is more than a symbol that is sometimes taken out of context by racist people. Any educated person knows that the news mostly focuses on negative issues. The more racist instances where the Confederate symbol is involved makes it seem like any state who chooses to keep that symbol is racist as well. Many students want the nation to know that it is simply not the case. Why take down the flag, when it’s the people who choose to use it as a symbol of oppression who are really doing the harm? Before moving on to the other more “popular” opinion, I’ll end on the viewpoint of a 23-year-old alumni with the initials K.R.:
“A flag is just a flag. If we are going to take down the flag because it has the Confederate flag symbol in it, then everything representing that time era needs to be taken down too...We have already taken away Colonel Rebel and Dixie, let's just strip the campus's entire history. Such as the Lyceum being a hospital in the Civil War...Let's just tear the building down as well. How about, instead of abolishing all of this 'symbolism' for racism and oppression, let's fix the human race and just treat everyone as humans, and not by the color of their skin. Taking away an inanimate object is not going to fix the way people feel about each other. Teaching love and compassion and demolishing people's ignorance will fix how people feel about each other.”
Now we move onto what Ole Miss affiliates who took the survey had to say about why we should have the Mississippi State Flag taken down from campus. Reasoning to remove the flag isn’t too hard to think of, no matter what side you’re on. One strong reason being about respect, for all students. Mallory Lehenbeur, a 23-year-old student, explains, “I believe Ole Miss should strive to include and respect all students. The flag does not represent all Mississippians, let alone all Ole Miss students, and in order to show Ole Miss as the family it is, all students should feel respected and a part of the family.”This is a very valid point. Everyone is always talking about how Ole Miss is a giant family. So why do we want some of our family members to feel uncomfortable? An anonymous student participant says just that, “It doesn't offend me, and it doesn't upset me, but it makes people that I share this campus with uncomfortable enough that they're saying something about it. If taking it down means that more people will feel welcome and included here, then I am 100% in favor of taking it down.”
Then of course, there’s the opinion of the Mississippi flag being blatantly racist, purely because of the connotation the Confederate flag holds in today’s world. A 28-year-old anonymous student of Ole Miss says the flag should be taken down, “Because it is racist, it is embarrassing. But once Nazis used [the swastika] it messed up the symbol. Everyone seeing it now thinks of concentration camps. The Mississippi Flag is the same way.”Another current student, Thomas Galvin, puts it simply that, “The flag has racist connotations and is not a representation of all the people it flies over. It is a symbol of oppression.”Many say that a simple flag, or object, should in no way oppress anyone. However, that doesn’t stop it from doing just that to some of our Ole Miss students. Would it be fair to tell them to just stop feeling how they’re feeling?
This final quote is from 21-year-old student and Mississippi resident, Carlos Rodgers. He explains that continuing to have the current Mississippi Flag fly on campus:
“Is a slap in the face to blacks because our ancestors went through hell for our freedom. However, we are being reminded everyday by something that symbolizes hatred against my culture. Things that are discriminatory to minority students are hindering some from even attending the University. It's time for a change. The University will soon lose the label "That racist school", that I've heard oh so many times from others who refuse to attend Ole Miss because of what "they think" it is known for.”
For at least me, it’s upsetting to hear that some people refuse to attend the university because they feel it’s still racist. Everyone knows that Ole Miss has so much to offer. But nevertheless, it’s apparent that there are more steps that can possibly be taken to make more of the student body feel comfortable. Just as one could argue that the flag itself doesn’t cause racism, one could also argue that it doesn’t matter since racist people seem to always use that symbol and the flag to get their views across.
Photo by Sarah R. Martin
The point of this article was not to make anyone upset or outraged, but rather to educate everyone on both sides of the argument. The Ole Miss student body felt that they weren’t heard in the decision to ask for the flag’s removal, and I wanted to provide an outlet for their voices to be heard. There are so many articles online about this issue, and none of them have taken the time to actually interview more people than a few senators and the unfortunate KKK members. And maybe none of them will. So thank you to all who participated, and I sincerely apologize that I could not write what each participant had to say. We will soon see the chancellor’s decision whether the flag will stay up or not. Maybe soon we’ll see a definite push to change the Mississippi State Flag altogether. While I will not state my own opinion of the matter, I will say that I’m so impressed by everyone who responded to the survey I created. The University of Mississippi should be proud to have so many thoughtful, engaging, and intelligent students who have such strong opinions on an issue that means so much to them, regardless of what opinion they hold.
