Ole Miss Students Have Strong Opinions In Wake Of Vote To Remove State Flag

OXFORD, MISS. (WCBI) – The University of Mississippi is the latest battleground in the debate over
the state flag.
As WCBI’s Allie Martin reports, there are strong opinions among students,
one day after a vote on the issue.

In the shadow of the Mississippi State flag, two members of the Ole Miss
Student Senate were talking about the piece of cloth and what it represents.

“The Confederate history is ingrained in the University of Mississippi,” said Andrew Soper.

“The flag does not represent our state wholly, or equally,” said Kenric Wright, II.

Soper and Wright took part in the meeting Tuesday night, when the student
senate voted 33 to 15 to ask the University of Mississippi to remove the
state flag from campus.

Maggie Marshall is studying business management, and she says the state flag
has become a big issue to the student body.

“Some students don’t feel safe with the flag , and what it represents to
them. I think the most important thing is to create a safe environment for
everybody and if one person doesn’t feel safe with the flag I think that’s
something that needs to be addressed,” Marshall said.

At least one student, who is active with the N Double A C P, hopes the state
flag, and other Confederate symbols, like this monument honoring Civil War
dead, will eventually be removed.

“Things like that deserve to be in a museum, because it doesn’t support
what’s going on right now, so I would say, it doesn’t stop here, there are
so many things on campus that show white supremacy,” said Kyra Addison.

Still, those who support keeping the flag flying aren’t deterred. Soper,
is circulating a petition calling for a campus wide vote on the issue.

The Faculty Senate will look at the issue soon.