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On Mizzou in 2015....

I guess you could say I was lucky.

I was never called “nigger” during my four years at Mizzou.

I never felt threatened expect for one incident while walking across south campus when someone mistakenly called me “faggot” from the balcony of Laws Hall.

I did spend some time working on “The Hate Report” that the Triangle Coalition put out during my time in Columbia. I even wrote a think piece/commentary for one of them.

Trust me; these issues of racial slurs and incidents happening on campus is not something that has bubbled up recently. These things have been going on a long, long time.


As someone who has spent nearly a decade in higher education, though, I wonder what realistically can and should be done about it.


The inculcation of hate takes place early on. A lot of change needs to happen before people set foot on campus.

Sensitivity and diversity training being mandated sounds good in theory, but the type of person who is brazen enough to shout nigger at someone who is simply walking around on campus is not really going to be swayed by a half day seminar telling them why they are wrong.

It doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try; I just wonder about how much tangible impact it is going to make to do that.

But when incidents do happen, as this link shows, you can’t just turn a blind eye and shrug. You have to demonstrate a genuine level of empathy and concern.


You can’t…well…respond like this:


That's just not going to get it done.

Tim Wolfe, who was serving as president of the University of Missouri System, resigned today.

Chancellor Loftin, who is dealing with his own issues from other corners of the institution, may be next to go. Apparently, Wolfe was trying to throw Loftin under the bus recently, according to the Missouri Times.

With Wolfe's resignation, the hunger strike of a graduate student can end.

The Missouri football game against BYU in Kansas City will happen. Some of the African-American players declared their intention to go on strike Saturday. They were given support by some of their teammates and the coaching staff:
Now, though, the next phases have to begin:

1) Coming up with some kind of a plan to address making campus a more inclusive environment

2) Finding a new system president.

Neither one will be easy, and both will (and should) take some time. The search in particular will be key, as that person should have a template to follow as far as what NOT to do thanks to Wolfe.
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