Feat of Clay

November 9th, 2012 at 3:49 PM ^

I am having a hard time imagining what kind of universities bear comparison with the events being discussed in the OP.

I suppose there is a remote chance that you are talking about HBCUs; not that their founding principles or ongoing mission warrant that kind of ridiculous comparison, but it's all I can come up with.  

If that's the case, you should know that they admit students from all racial & ethnic groups.  

Two Hearted Ale

November 8th, 2012 at 8:58 PM ^

A school that refers to itself as the colloquial term for a plantation owners wife and whose nick name is "rebels" has racist students. Didn't see that one coming.

Mississippi is last in pretty much every list you don't want to be last on (education, poverty, obesity, etc.). That pretty much tells you all you need to know about it.

I hate the south...

Danwillhor

November 8th, 2012 at 9:57 PM ^

I've always wondered why so many black kids outside the state of Mississippi would go there. Sure, it's not like it was back during the real Ole Miss riot just 50 yrs ago but they still go by "Ole Miss", ffs. The rebel flag is everywhere to this day and they boast about their (still below national average) black student population like they are doing Oxfam's work. It has to be, or should be, the easiest school to negative recruit against. Without the beautiful women and especially those brainwashed since birth to care so much about Ole Miss football to bang recruits what do they have? Oh, and money. Aside from those, you'd think more black athletes would know enough to realize that if they didn't play football they'd be going to a school where half the people they walked by would openly or quietly hate them simply because of their skin.

Make NO MISTAKE, even on and near campus Mississippi is the most backward state in the country when it comes to race relations. Not even close. The rest of the South is still bad and Indiana is pretty bad but all are amateurs in open racism compared to Mississippi.

Danwillhor

November 9th, 2012 at 12:29 AM ^

It was mention in and after the 30 for 30 about Ole Miss. Just going off of that as far as numbers but even if it is equal to the national average, the way they talk about their black students now is almost patronizing. Mississippi is terrible, if you've never been. Don't feel like you're missing anything if not.

jmblue

November 9th, 2012 at 3:04 PM ^

I don't know that much about Ole Miss's admissions policies, but given that it is the flagship school of the state with the highest proportion of African Americans in the country (37%), it's likely to have a pretty substantial black student body.   Incidentally, African Americans are underrepresented at pretty much all prestigious schools.  That's not something exclusive to the Deep South.  The state of Michigan is 14% black, but U-M is only around 6-7%.  (Even before affirmative action was struck down, the percentage never reached double figures.)

justingoblue

November 9th, 2012 at 3:23 PM ^

White and black are all I'm recording, since none of the others seem likely to factor in here:

School White % Black %
MSU 76 20.5
So Miss 66.7 28.1
Ole Miss 82.9 13.2
Jackson St 2.2 95.9
Delta St 58.7 38.6

I have no desire to go any further in this (I think you hit on a good point with Michigan/state at-large), but those are the numbers.

burtcomma

November 9th, 2012 at 12:43 PM ^

I have lived in Michigan, Ohio, and Mississippi.  I attended public schools in all 3 states, and northeast Ohio was the most racist area I lived in.  When I lived in Mississippi, I attended a racial integrated middle school.  When I lived in Michigan and Ohio, I attended public schools that had almost no minorities in terms of blacks or hispanics or Jews or asians or whatever.

You are living in the far past if you think that Mississippi is the most racial backward state.  I suggest you try and learn something before voicing your own prejudices in a public forum.

Danwillhor

November 9th, 2012 at 8:35 PM ^

My own prejudices?!? I've also lived in all 3 states and I will give you the point that different areas of Michigan and Ohio have different levels of open racism but Mississippi was like another planet for me and this was in the 90's. Further, I was all over the state (for family/military reasons) and went to several public schools down there and each and every one of them had black students. Yet, the word "nigger" (sorry, agree with Louis CK and David Cross that saying "The N word" is worse. Im in no way racist) was as ubiquitous as the word "friend" or "buddy". Heard it every day at least 10 times a day.
I lived in SE Michigan and while there is always some racism I would say it is at or below the average (if I can call it that). I lived in NW Ohio, as well. Very rural and at a school in the NWOAL (very small and 99% white). Yet, the few minority kids were not only NOT teased but were very popular and treated well regardless of athletic ability or size or intelligence.
So, IN MY EXPERIENCE, Mississippi was like racism planet compared to the others. I willingly accept that you may have seen different but I take issue with you claiming I have any prejudices whatsoever.

M-Wolverine

November 8th, 2012 at 11:19 PM ^

Obama only won because the election was rigged by the Chinese who wanted to get the rights to the Star Wars movies away from Disney and the Mississippi students were protesting because they knew this would eliminate any chance of them ever getting Admiral Ackbar as their mascot.

JamieH

November 9th, 2012 at 9:55 AM ^

All I know is that when we played them in the 1991 Gator Bowl, their band's halftime show was actually "Six Variations on Dixie" or something like that.   They literally just spent the entire halftime playing Dixie.  Add to that their fans having more confederate flags than you would see at a 'Dukes of Hazard' convention and I can't imagine how some kids decide to go play there.  Obviously that was 20 years ago so maybe things have changed.  Maybe. 

Feat of Clay

November 9th, 2012 at 3:54 PM ^

I would venture a guess that a kid who has grown up in the south isn't going to find a confederate flag quite as remarkable as we yankees do.  

I'm not saying it's not offensive, but remember that this kid sees the same flag sold on bumper stickers & keychains every time he goes into a convenience store to buy a Slurpee.  So you can see why he might not be so riled up to see them hanging out a dorm window or whatever.

WMU81

November 9th, 2012 at 10:09 AM ^

Anywhere they waive the confederate flag around and are proud of what it stands for is someplace i would never play...and I am white, with southern heritage

Sopwith

November 9th, 2012 at 11:16 AM ^

you can take Mississippi out of the 1950's, but you can't take the 1950's out of Mississippi.  

Or more accurately, maybe I should say 1962 after viewing that 30-for-30 documentary last week.

cp4three2

November 9th, 2012 at 11:47 AM ^

4.5% to about 16%. Our holier than thou statements chastizing an entire university because of a group on campus acting like jackasses are a little off base.  The idea that an athlete is going to feel persecuted there is absurd, just as it was absurd to think that the JoePa protests at PSU were going to hurt recruiting "because they support a guy who allowed Sandusky on the team." 

 

I don't think any recruit is going to be turned off.  They probably just won't be joining whatever group staged the protest.

coastal blue

November 9th, 2012 at 12:30 PM ^

As with any issue dealing with white people and race, the media makes a huge deal out of nothing. 

Anti-Obama sentiment boiled over into a few racial slurs and a couple lawn signs being burnt. 

They call it a "riot" in the media, yet there was no damage, no injuries, nothing. 

All it was was frustration boiling over.