The Emmett Till Memorial Commission
A Conversation with the Philadelphia Coalition
An article from the Daily Mississippian about Respect Mississippi
Daily Mississippian Editorial Board
Issue date: 10/26/06 Section: Opinion
Renewing respect
Are you busy tonight? Say, around 7:00? If not, no worries. You don't actually have to tell anyone you don't have big plans for Thursday. Instead, you can tell them you're going to the Respect Mississippi meeting in Barnard Observatory.
You may be asking yourself what this meeting is about and why you should go. Let us enlighten you. Respect Mississippi is an organization begun this semester by a group of students. It's mission is to foster diversity at Ole Miss through communication, education and service. Over the last year, we here at the University of Mississippi have put a great deal of emphasis on improving race relations. For many, this process of reconciliation culminated with the dedication of the Civil Rights Monument earlier this October. After a highly publicized week of activities dedicated to addressing the issue of race on campus, however, things quietly returned to "normal." But now that we see how much can be accomplished by working together, is it really acceptable to maintain the status quo?
There has been a great deal of discussion about the de facto segregation of the campus, a remnant of Mississippi's history of racial turmoil. Despite the students' perception of this problem, up until now there really hasn't been any kind of organization inclusive of ALL students, whether they are black, white, Christian, independent, Greek, international, etc. Respect Mississippi hopes to eliminate these separations by getting students to actually interact with each other through service and open discussion. The group, which falls under the William Winters Institute for Racial Reconciliation, plans to sponsor guest speakers and hold forums promoting better understanding between students of different backgrounds. Also, by uniting students in various service projects, such as the Manna food ministry and Leap Frog, the group's leaders expect the spirit of community will help eliminate some of the racial divisions that have stayed strong over so many years.
So if you are one of the many students who feels it's time for a change, here's your opportunity. In addition to the organizational meeting at 7 p.m. in Barnard Observatory, Respect Mississippi is sponsoring lunch from 11 to 1 (at the Civil Rights Monument if the weather holds up, otherwise in the Union). Stop by tomorrow. Check out their Web site at www.respectmississippi.org. It's time for our generation to stop using the past as an excuse not to change the future.
