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Thursday, February 27, 2025
Men’s hoops hopes to rebound in home game against Oklahoma
‘If Love Fails, Try Nothing Else’ celebrates Black History Month
NATE DONOHUE Sports Staff Writer
Hosting Oklahoma on Saturday, March 1, at 1 p.m., Ole Miss Men’s Basketball looks to secure another SEC victory at the Sandy and John Black Pavilion. After beating South Carolina on the road on Feb. 12, the Rebels were looking strong. They put together a three-game winning streak, including a dominant performance against then No. 14 Kentucky. Fast forward three more games, and suddenly Ole Miss cannot seem to buy a win. Most recently, the Rebels came out flat losing 77-72 to Vanderbilt. Ole Miss looked stagnant and conservative on offense for much of the game. “I thought the difference in the game was obviously our poor start,” Beard said following the Vanderbilt loss. “They were very aggressive out of the gates, and we needed to take that first punch a little bit better than we did.” In the first 15 minutes of play, the Rebels limped to a 34-15 deficit and only managed to cut the Vanderbilt lead to single digits at the end of the fist half. Part of the reason for the Commodores’ early lead was their assertiveness on offense, which was demonstrated in the difference in total free throw attempts between both teams. “I thought the free throw differential was obvious,” Beard said. “(Vanderbilt) didn’t foul much, and they got to the free throw line. … It’s obvi-
SEE HOOPS PAGE 3
Volume 113, No. 20
OLIVIA CANGELOSI / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Angela Brown performs at the 2025 Black History Concert in the Gertrude Ford Center on Feb. 25.
HALLIE DAVIS A&C Staff Writer
The University of Mississippi celebrated its 20th year of the 2025 Black History Month concert on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at the Gertrude C. Ford Center with the show, “If Love Fails, Try Nothing Else.”
The concert featured Grammy Award-winning soprano Angela Brown and accompanying performances by the Ole Miss African Drum and Dance Ensemble and the University of Mississippi Concert Singers. Nancy Balach, chair and professor of music, delivered opening remarks and remind-
Deadline for assessment of DEI programs nears News Staff Writer
ASHLYNN PAYNE / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Universities across the country received a 14-day notice from Craig Trainor, the Department of Education’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights, giving them a deadline of Friday, Feb. 28, to take measures to assess institutional compliance with anti-discrimination requirements that are necessary to receive federal funding. Trainer’s letter particularly focuses on the reevaluation of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, arguing that — while appearing to be inclusive — they lead to discriminatory practices that violate Title VI of the 1946 Civil Rights act, which prohibits discrimination in institutions that receive federal funding.
SEE BHM CONCERT PAGE 2
Black History Month
A directive from the Department of Education may affect programs at the University of Mississippi. AIDAN PONIATOWSKI
ed attendees of the night’s themes — love and unity. “No matter what has brought each of us here tonight, I hope that all of us feel a sense of belonging” Balach said. The crowd was invited to stand together and sing the open-
“Educational institutions have toxically indoctrinated students with the false premise that the United States is built upon ‘systemic and structural racism’ and advanced discriminatory policies and practices,” Trainor said. “Proponents of these discriminatory practices have attempted to further justify them — particularly during the last four years — under the banner of ‘diversity, equity and inclusion,’ smuggling racial stereotypes and explicit race consciousness into everyday training, programming and discipline.” In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled to end race-based admissions at colleges and universities
SEE DEI PAGE 2
BLACK AUTHORS
Local voices discuss underrepresentation in literature. SEE PAGE 9
MUSIC RECOMMENDATIONS Paleif Raspberry explores the influence of Black artists. SEE PAGE 10
ERROL ROBINSON Former Ole Miss Baseball shortstop reflects on his career. SEE PAGE 11
OPINION Justice Rose reflects on the Black experience in 2025. SEE PAGE 11