50 later
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COURTESY ED MEEK AND THE MEEK SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM COLLECTION
PAGE 2 | THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 27 september 2012 | 50 YEARS LATER
50 YEARS EDITORIAL STAFF: EMILY ROLAND editor-in-chief/design dmeditor@gmail.com Emily Cegielski senior editor thedmrecrutment@gmail.com KIMBER LACOUR copy chief IGNACIO MURILLO design editor CAIN MADDEN photography editor thedmphotos@gmail.com
ADVERTISING STAFF LEANNA YOUNG sales manager MICHAEL BARNETT RYAN HERGET MEGHAN JACKSON account executives dmads@olemiss.edu S. GALE DENLEY STUDENT MEDIA CENTER PATRICIA THOMPSON director and faculty adviser MELANIE WADKINS advertising manager DEBRA NOVAK creative and technical superviser AMY SAXTON administrative assistant ARVINDER SINGH KANG manager of media technology DARREL JORDAN chief engineer
The events on the calendar are taken from the campus calendar at OleMiss. edu and advertising venues. If you would like an event to be featured on the calendar, email thedmfeatures@gmail.com, with the subject heading “Calendar.”
What's Inside P.3
From then to now Bridging the gap
P.5
Not just black and white
P.4
Deconstructing Preconceptions The Battle of Oxford
P.6
Comics and games
Calendar of Events 27 Thursday Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 7 p.m. Fall Honors Convocation. Speaker: Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney General Ticketed event.
30 Sunday Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 6:30 p.m. Statewide Day of Remembrance: “A Walk of Reconciloation and Redemption.” Open to the public; meet at the Ford Center to join the community walk. Lyceum, 7p.m. Prayer Service on the Lyceum Steps. Open to the public. Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 8:00 p.m. Watch the documentary: “REBELS: James Meredith and & Integration of Ole Miss.” Open to the public.
01 Monday Student Union Ballroom, 9:30 a.m. “The U.S. Marshals and Oxford - A 50th Anniversary Panel.” Open to the public. Student Union Lobby, 11a.m. Black Student Union Tribute to James Meredith Open to the public Robert C. Khayat Law Center, Room 1078, 1:30 p.m. “A Lawyer’s Impact: Mississippi Burning.” Speaker: John Doar, former assistant attorney general. Open to the public. Overby Center, 3 p.m. “Integration at Ole Miss - from an Army Perspective.” Speaker: Henry Gallagher, author of James Meredith and the Ole Miss Riot. Open to the public. The Civil Rights Monument, 5:30 p.m. “Meredith and Me: The Walk.” 50Years of Integration at the University of Mississippi. Open to the public. Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 6 p.m. “50 Years of Integration, Opening the Closed Society.” Keynote speaker: Harry Belafonte. Ticket required.
04 Thursday Follow us @theDM_news
Overby Center, 11 a.m. Assessment of the Racial Progress Made at Ole Miss Open to the public.
50 YEARS LATER | 27 september 2012 | THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | PAGE 3
From THEN to NOW
BRIDGING THE
G A P Through the series of events called “50 Years of Integration: Opening the Closed Society� and the student awareness campaign “Meredith and Me,� the university is ensuring that all are educated about Ole Miss’ pivotal involvement in black history. BY ANN-MARIE HEROD annmarieherod@gmail.com
COURTESY ED MEEK AND THE MEEK SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM COLLECTION
COURTESY ED MEEK AND THE MEEK SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM COLLECTION
On Oct. 1, 1962, James Meredith became the first black man to attend Ole Miss, making history and changing the future of The University of Mississippi forever. To commemorate the occasion, the university is hosting a number of events centering on Meredith to celebrate the anniversary, labeling it “50 Years of Integration: Opening the Closed Society.� Chancellor Dan Jones charged faculty members on campus to create and oversee different events that would effectively educate not only students of the university but also people throughout the state of Mississippi. “The purpose of the committee was to simply put together events that would educate the student body as well as the Ole Miss and Oxford community – to show the U.S., the state of Mississippi and then the world
Thesis and Dissertation Editing, Proofreading Retired English Professor
662. 306. 0787 http://mdhealthcommunications.com CAIN MADDEN | The Daily Mississippian
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that racial progress within the state starts here,� Julian Gilner, assistant director of alumni affairs, said. For years, the university has been tarnished with negative stereotypes regarding race because of its history. The question for many is: Why after so many years? Why do so many people believe the university is just as it was 50 years ago? Dr. Donald Cole, assistant provost and co-chair of the Civil Rights Movement subcommittee, said that after individuals properly examine the university they will see it has transformed. “We’ve kind of examined some thoughts ourselves and found them not to be worthy to carry on,� he said. “We ourselves have done a lot of changing, and I’d like for people to have an open mind, open enough to see positive changes and embrace them.� One of the most important things the committee would like to achieve is active student participation.
We ourselves have done a lot of changing, and I’d like for people to have an open mind, open enough to see positive changes and embrace them. DR. DONALD COLE Assistant Provost
�
Student-led organizations such as the Associated Student Body and the Black Student Union have also contributed to some of the events. “Meredith and Me� is a student awareness campaign that was started to help promote these events and get students involved. “The campaign for stuSee GAP, PAGE 5
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PAGE 4 | THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 27 september 2012 | 50 YEARS LATER
Deconstructing The Battle of Oxford Preconceptions A student’s point of view Bobby King recollects his firsthand experience as a student journalist during the integration of Ole Miss in 1962.
“
This is a problem and we need to do something about it.
Fifty years after Meredith and the riots, Mississippi is still tarnished with negative stereotypes about race that transcend the media that uses them.
KAYLA CARPENTER | The Daily Mississippian
A former Ole Miss student looks at the 1962 controversial newsletter, the Rebel Underground, witch was circulated on campus during integration. PHOTOS BY PHILLIP WALLER | The Daily Mississippian
BY KRISTEN STEPHENS kriskros2010@gmail.com
Riots overtook The University of Mississippi on Sept. 30, 1962. The reason – the pigment of a single man’s skin. The admission of James Meredith, the first black person integrated into Ole Miss, created an integration struggle that allowed prejudice to hang heavily in the air. Nonetheless, Ole Miss made a change, a change that many forms of media have hyped, whether postively or negatively. The ways media, including television shows, movies, broadcast programs, newspapers, posters and the like, have decided to portray or condense Mississippi since have painted a picture to the nation and to the world of what life in the South must be like. “Mississippi being one of the states in the Deep South, it’s going to always, I think, carry negative historical legacies,” said Deidra Jackson, acting assistant director for academic counseling and adjunct in-
structor in journalism. Those who have never ventured into Mississippi may have heard the state is unhealthy, slow-living, filled with the Southern drawl and still in a battle against racism. These assumptions may have been based on the surrounding media, as images of prejudice and hatred in Mississippi flashed across screens or in newspaper stands. “True or not is important,” said Dr. Ted Ownby, director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture and professor of history. “It’s also important to say why are certain people emphasizing certain things.” Ownby recalled the role the media played in the 1950s and 1960s, during the heart of integration. He said the issue was important to address because it made Mississippi face its racism, which had become a national public concern. “There are moments when images are really important in See STEREOTYPES, PAGE 8
BY KAYLA CARPENTER krcarpen@go.olemiss.edu
Fifty years ago on Sept. 30, 1962, the familiar sights of the Grove, the Lyceum and the Circle were grotesque images filled with smoke, chaos and hatred. Bobby King, a Corinth native who was a journalism senior at Ole Miss in 1962, said Sept. 30 started out just like every other Sunday. “I was in New Albany having lunch with my girlfriend, who is my wife now, and her family after church,” King said. “I decided to flip on the TV when I heard a bulletin from President John F. Kennedy addressing the state of Mississippi and Ole Miss. The president said that James Meredith was being admitted to Ole Miss today and that he was federalizing troops to maintain order. I told my girlfriend I had to get down there and see what was going on.” King was already an experienced journalist, having written for The Commercial Appeal, The Birmingham News
and The Clarion-Ledger. The news was not brand new, as rumors had been swirling around campus that Ole Miss would be integrated. “The tension had been building through summer and early fall as word of integration loomed over Mississippi,” King said. King said he arrived on campus around sunset and turned onto Sorority Row en route to his dorm room. He soon found out the riot was well underway. “As soon as I pulled onto the grounds of Ole Miss, a white man with a gun stepped in front of my car and stopped me; it wasn’t an officer,” King explained. “He asked me where I was going and I told him to my dorm in Powers. He made me pull out my student ID and then he told me to get to my room, lock the door and not to come out until the fighting was over.” The dorm King stayed in was close to the infirmary, so he decided to wait there for the injured from the riot to come in. Around 10 p.m., ambulances and jeeps arrived to take the in-
jured to the campus infirmary. “I started asking people about the riot, and they said several people had been fighting in the Grove and most of the people rioting against the marshals were not students but people of interest who felt the need to stop integration,” King said. On Monday morning, King walked through the Grove to his classes. He realized what had happened and questioned why it happened to his university. “Walking through the Grove about 8 or 9 Monday morning, it really hit me,” King said. “The stench of tear gas was hanging, hovering above the ground like a dense fog. Cars were still smoldering from being set on fire. Marshals were everywhere. It was almost like a military zone after battle with the military in control. I soon realized this was not about the students; this was about the deep racial hatred throughout the South.” When King arrived at the See BATTLE, PAGE 8
50 YEars Later | 27 september 2012 | THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | PAGE 5
BLACK WHITE and
Not just
Not only did James Meredith help integrate blacks into the educational system, but his endeavor paved the way for a myriad of multicultural minorities, as well.
PHOTO COURTESY THE UM OF VIETNAMESE STUDENT ASSOCIATION
Members of the University of Mississippi Vietnamese Student Association take part in the 2nd Annual Taste of Vietnam: Pho Night.
BY JONECE DUNIGAN jlduniga@go.olemiss.edu
Many students and faculty associate James Meredith’s arrival with the opening of the doors of opportunity to the black community. But to Ariel Blanco, president of the Latin American Student Association, the promotion of Meredith’s integration signifies something more. “Integration means a mix of cultures, ethnic, racial, religious and creed differences,” Blanco said. “It means bringing all of these together into one.” According to Blanco, Meredith impacted the multicultural community, not just one racial group. He said he feels Ole Miss should not see integration as a “bipolar issue of black and white” and more minorities should have been invited to participate in the commemoration. Chancellor Dan Jones describes Meredith’s demeanor as one that would support Blanco’s opinion. Meredith sees the world in a different light. He does not like the term “civil rights” because it implies that there is a group of people who do not have the same op-
portunities as other people. “In his view, every American has the same exact rights regardless of skin color and where they’re born, and no one should feel like they are given a favor by (the government) giving them rights,” Jones said. Dr. Charles Ross, chairman of the Civil Rights Movement subcommittee, said the reason other minorities are not represented as much in the commemoration is because of its overall goal. “This committee was made to memorize and commemorate what James Meredith achieved,” Ross said. “Our university is known more for that event than any other event.” Lily Van, founder of the Vietnamese Students Association at Ole Miss, sees integration as a strong theme in Ole Miss’ history. Van is from Honolulu, Hawaii, a place she considers very diverse. She finds it interesting how the South is trying to fight the stereotype of being unfriendly to other cultures. “Whether it is good or bad, (integration) is part of Ole Miss’ history,” Van said. “I think there could be things that could be integrated more, but
we’re on the right track.” Van created the VSA to promote Vietnamese culture in a community that has a small population of Vietnamese students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Asians comprise 1 percent of Ole Miss’ population, while Hispanics compose 2 percent. Lily said she believes it would be fair to see more ethnic groups represented in the integration celebration since the term “minority” has evolved over the years. “It’s not just black versus whites – whites being the majority and black being the minority,” Van said. “Obviously, there is a lot more to it now.” Many students are accustomed to learning and socializing with groups beyond their own culture. Ross understands the demographics currently shaping the Ole Miss society and thinks the conversation helps promote a better future on campus. “The young generation has a responsibility to help the adults to be better,” Ross said. “In many situations, society has been changed not by adults, but by young people (who)
think outside of the box.” Jones challenges students to see the commemoration for more than just education about the civil rights era. “We all need be vigilant to not be passive about injustice in the world, and we need to actively look at ourselves and make sure we aren’t participating in injustice towards some person and to a group of people,” Jones said. Black leaders such as Marian Wright Edelman and Nick Lott contributed their stories of civil rights issues to campus through lectures throughout the year. Jones said Myrlie Evers-Williams, civil rights activist, journalist and widow of well-known civil rights activist Medgar Evers, was the speaker who touched him the most. “She expressed forgiveness and expressed no bitterness towards the university,” Jones said. “She offered her friendship, offered herself as a speaker, and that graciousness on her part from someone who has suffered so much was an inspiration to me.” Blanco said she believes that all minorities share a common history when it comes to civil rights and that the commemo-
ration should recognize other “culture firsts” during the integration celebration, like the first Asian student to graduate at Ole Miss. “Hispanics, Asians, Europeans, Africans and Pacific Islanders all form part of the multicultural nation we live in,” Blanco said. “During the civil rights movement, while most of the protests and rallies were centered on African Americans, these other cultures were struggling for their rights also.” Jones said the subcommittee did not intentionally exclude the multicultural community. “There are a lot of firsts that don’t get the recognition,” Jones said. “Part of the reason that the university decided to commemorate the first African American is because it was associated with large social change in our country.” Both Jones and Ross invite other cultures to participate in the commemoration events, such as the march from Baxter Hall to the Meredith monument on Oct 1. Harry Belafonte, social activist and singer who wrote the hits “Banana Boat” and “We are the World,” is also speaking later that night.
GAP,
Center to the Lyceum. Students are being encouraged by the university to promote the events and the campaign on social networks. Anyone can tweet and post Facebook statuses using the words of the week and hashtagging “Meredith and Me.” “I think the student response has been great,” Ward said. “It’s tough to get the word out, but it’s a slow-moving giant. I think getting the historical significance out to students could be improved. Ultimately the committee and I want the students to be invested in this event.”
continued from page 3
PHOTO COURTESY ED MEEK AND THE MEEK SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM COLLECTION
Fifty years ago on October 1, 1962, James Meredith became the first Black man to enroll in the University of Mississippi integrating the university.
dents is predicated around the four words on the civil rights monument in between the library and the Lyceum: Courage, Opportunity, Perseverance and Leadership,” Coulter Ward, assistant dean of student affairs, explained. “Each week before the walk on Sept. 30, we will be focusing on one of the words.” On Sept. 30, the official celebration events will kick off with “A Walk of Reconciliation and Redemption” from the Gertrude C. Ford
Freshmen, sophomores and juniors do not schedule appointments; just show up and your photo will be taken on a walk-in basis.
Answers Seniors need to schedule an appointment for yearbook photos at www.ouryear.com. School code: 88003 or call 1-800-OUR-YEAR (1-800-687-9327).
9 a.m.-4 p.m.
First day: Room 405, Remaining days: Room 412
Student Union
October 15-19, 23, 25 & 26
Sudoku #1 6 1 4 9 9 5 3 7 8 7 2 6 2 4 7 8 3 6 5 1 1 9 8 4 4 2 9 3 7 3 6 5 5 8 1 2
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DIFFICULTY LEVEL 1
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Intermediate Sudoku Puzzles by KrazyDad, Book 2 © 2012 KrazyDad.com
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Photos taken from the 1983 Ole Miss Yearbook
HOW TO PLAY
Class Portraits
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The Ole Miss
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PAGE 6 | THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 27 september 2012 | the grove edition
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STEREOTYPES, continued from page 4
defining a problem and making that problem as public as possible, as a way of saying ‘we have to solve it,’” Ownby said. “The goal of media in the South in the 1950s and ‘60s was to say, ‘How deep, how bad are the injustices? Let us bring them to light.’” Ownby said the media at the time had a specific goal in mind: To confront the national image of Mississippi as trailing the nation in improving and equalizing education for its residents, especially those of color. “This was an effort to say, ‘This is a problem and we need to do something about it,’” Ownby said. “At the time, it was a strategy.” Mississippi was literally fighting for its own image during this time, Ownby said. According to him, some residents recognized that Mississippi was at a progressional halt due to racism and prejudice, and still others put the thought away. If one looks around the state 50 years later, it is obvious a change took place. Though the state has become more inclusive and diverse, however, this does not mean racism is no longer an issue. “Racism today is still all around us,” Dr. Tracie Stewart, assistant professor of psychology, said. “We just don’t necessarily see it because racism can be both explicit and implicit. There’s racism (that) you know you have, you’ll catch yourself doing it, but more often than not, it’s unconscious.” Racism and stereotypes thrived in the past and continue to in the present. Even the media is known to be narrow
PHOTOS BY PHILLIP WALLER | The Daily Mississippian
in diversity. The University of Mississippi’s chapter of the Association of Black Journalists, gladly welcoming of members of any race, aims to change that. “We want people to know that it is very important that media outlets, even in 2012, are still reporting on diverse issues that are relevant to minorities,” said Ashley Ball, the University of Mississippi’s ABJ president. Ball said she believes issues such as stereotyping, racism and the lack of diversity can be handled by continuing to talk about these situations. “That continuing conversa25876
Cool, Confident, Creative
Alice & Co.
tion needs to be had, and it can’t be swept under the rug,” Ball said. Studies conducted at the university have shown that suppressing stereotypes only leads to stronger stereotyping. “’Just say no’ is a bad idea,” Stewart said. “It’s not going to work. We’re trying to train people to just consider a different way of judging behaviors. It takes a lot of work to stop judging people that way and to consider situational constraints the way we do for ourselves.” But in a world of social media, which thrives on stereotyping each culture subset, changing the way people think is a feat in and of itself. “Stereotypes become timesaving devices,” Stewart said. “If I stereotype you, I don’t have to really think hard about you.”
The media generally uses content that features only the extreme cases in cultures. Jackson said she is disturbed that some characterizations the media portrays are not as accurate as history recalls. For example, “The Help,” both the movie and the book versions, painted an emotionally stirring picture of life in the South but told the story too nicely, Jackson said. From her research, black housemaids went through much worse than the story showed. Yet she found society accepts the story as an actual representation of history. “People will take that as historical record,” Jackson said. Combating stereotypes and symbols that shape Mississippi’s culture can lead to the state’s progression. Stewart said the change must come from accepting that which is different and including it into the environment, adapting as cultures and people do. “Our society is increasingly diverse, so if we don’t learn how to work together, we’re going to be in a lot of trouble 20 years from now, 50 years from now,” Stewart said. Though racial issues still exist, most people agree that Mississippi has taken several steps forward and hope the progressive trend will continue. In the past year, Ole Miss elected its first black female ASB president and crowned its first black homecoming queen. Yet no matter how hard Mississippi puts forth effort to move forward, it continues to be known by media’s extreme images and perceptions. “No matter how many positive stories and stories about how Mississippi is trying to overcome its racist past and present itself as a progressive state, as a state that believes in diversity and is inclusive, you still have to battle against those perceptions that other people have, and I think will always have, of Mississippi,” Jackson said.
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journalism building, he spoke with fellow reporters and wrote a story about the riot. Throughout the day, speeches were made on the steps of the Lyceum while Meredith was registering for classes. “I remember the governor standing on the steps saying integration would not happen on his watch, but we all knew he couldn’t stop it from happening,” King said. “I was aware that people did not want this to happen and were willing to die to stop it.” Over the next few days, the environment on campus was extremely volatile. Meredith started classes and lived in Baxter Hall, the dorm across from King. “The only times I saw Meredith, he had a squad of federal marshals in a diamond around him that would move him down the streets to class,” King said. “I believe he took most of his meals in his room because every time he went into the cafeteria it wasn’t a pleasant sight. “The thing I remember the most was thinking that he had to be miserable with fear when he was exposed out on campus. He probably had a difficult time concentrating on his studies with everything around him. He was subjected to shouts, cussing, harassments and spitting as he walked to his classes every day, and it remained that way through the remainder of the semester.” King remembered a secret publication called the Rebel Underground, which was printed using a stencil and distributed to secret spots on campus, and he still has the first copy ever distributed. The paper boasted a big picture of a rebel flag and read: “The Rebel Underground is composed of students who resent the Negro James Meredith being forced into our university by federal might.” “When I read this paper, I thought to myself, ‘My goodness, I can’t believe it’s come to this,’” King said. “The paper had a list of professors who were reported to be communist sympathizers and black sympathizers. It even listed phone numbers of the professors for students to call and harass. They called The Daily Mississippian (then The Mississippian) editor of that time, Sidna Brower, the pink Pulitzer princess.” After a few months went by, everything started to die down. Students began to accept that Meredith was a part of Ole Miss and that they could not change that. “None of us realized the national and international scope of what was going on,” King explained. “It wasn’t until I was older that I truly understood the significance of it. It’s something I can say that I lived through and was a part of.”