As part of a broader effort to address racism and race relations at the University of Mississippi, university officials are being asked to limit their use of the school’s “Ole Miss” nickname, which could be understood as racist.
In an “action plan” report for the University released Aug. 1 and provided to Red Alert Politics, Chancellor Dan Jones writes that “a few, especially among our faculty, are uncomfortable using the term ‘Ole Miss’ – some at all, and some within the academic context. Some object simply because it is a nickname and prefer the more formal name, and some express concern about its origin, believing that the term is racist.”
In response to these concerns, the university is encouraging the term “Ole Miss” to be used with athletics and the broad “spirit” of the school, while reserving the more formal “The University of Mississippi” to the academic context. For instance, the report states that some faculty, staff, and students “chafe” at the school’s email being olemiss.edu, and as such, changing the email to umiss.edu “seem[s] worth considering.”
Oddly, reservations about the name “Ole Miss” seem to come almost entirely from faculty.
Jones writes that “the vast majority of current students of all races embraces the name and does not attach any meaning to it other than an affectionate name for the university.” Further, “national research revealed that there is no greater association with negative racial history for either ‘University of Mississippi’ or ‘Ole Miss.’ In fact, a significant margin likes and prefers the ‘Ole Miss’ name. And a very small percentage of respondents associate the university with negative race issues, whatever the name.”
Despite these rather positive comments on the general reception of the “Ole Miss” name, university officials still recommend limiting it to the athletic context.
The nickname, according to AP, endeared itself to the university from a yearbook contest in the late 1800s, while the phrase “Ole Miss” originates from a name that slaves used to refer to a plantation owner’s wife.
Without dismissing the very real race relation issues that are occasionally exposed on Mississippi’s campus, Jones’ decision to limit a long-time nickname of the school that the chancellor himself admits is endearing to students and alumni of all races — and that is not nationally associated with racism — does more to connect the name “Ole Miss” to a racist past than anything inherent in the name.
Jones says that the report’s recommendation is not a phasing out of the term, but only to emphasize it in athletics. But if “Ole Miss” is representative of school spirit and pride in the university community, it would also be appropriate to use it bodily, in the names of student groups, academic, service, or athletic clubs and in the classroom.
If faculty members are uncomfortable with the term, then there is no need for them to use “Ole Miss” in their classrooms. The disconnect between faculty and student and alumni over the name does not need to impact academics or student life and university officials do not need to emphasize the disconnect and put spheres of campus life at odds with each other by implicitly condemning the name and taking an official position on its use.
According to The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Miss.), the university banned sticks at athletic events in 1997 to indirectly discourage the display of the Confederate battle flag by fans. In 2009, Jones asked the university band to stop playing “From Dixie with Love,” because some fans started yelling “The South will rise again” during the song. And in 2010 the university officially replaced the “Colonel Reb” mascot because some thought it resembled a Confederate soldier.
