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OXFORD, Miss. – Pro-Palestine protests have occurred at numerous American universities in recent weeks. During a demonstration at the University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, one Black graduate student confronted a large group of counter-protesters. As she took out her phone to record the encounter, a White male student appeared making ape-like sounds at the Black woman. The student was later identified as a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and has since been removed from the organization.
On Thursday, May 2, a congregation of 30-60 pro-Palestinian students gathered at the Ole Miss campus. A large group of counter-protestors, presumably students, quickly outnumbered the pro-Palestine students. The counter group began singing songs, one of them “The Star Spangled Banner”, seemingly, to drown out the opposing chants.
As tensions grew, police escorted the smaller group into a nearby building.
Videos from the incident show the woman approaching the barricade that separated the two groups.
However, the events took a racist turn when another student began making chimp-like noises and movements as the woman approached.
As she stood there, the counter-protesting group, which consisted of roughly 200 White students, began to hurl verbal assault at the Black student. Several male students degraded the woman’s appearance while others instructed the police to “lock her up.”
While some have called out the behavior as racially insensitive, others have applauded the behavior. U.S. Representative Mike Collins (R-Georgia) shared the video on social media saying, “Ole Miss taking care of business.”
Rep. Collins later posted on X (Twitter) reasserting his support of the counter-protestors. He did, however, add that if an individual is “found to have treated another human being improperly because of their race, they should be punished appropriately, and will hopefully seek forgiveness.”
Governor of Mississippi Tate Reeves shared a different video of the counter-protest saying the sight “warmed his heart.”
Mississippi’s History of Racial Tension
Many were quick to point out Mississippi’s racist and troubled history. After the Civil War and Reconstruction Era, some Americans advocated for sending Black people back to Africa. In 1922, the Mississippi Senate voted 25 to 9 to ask the federal government to exchange debts owed by European countries following World War I for land in Africa. Their idea was to establish a colony in Africa for Black Mississippi residents to relocate as the “final home for the American Negro.”
In the 1950s a group of militant Southerners created a citizens council to resist public school integration. Also taking place in 1955 was the infamous abduction and lynching of teenager Emmet Till in Drew, Mississippi.
When segregation was federally abolished four decades later, 2,000 white students protested against the first Black student admitted to Ole Miss.
The effects of Jim Crow still linger across the state. In 1890 the state adopted a new constitution that established literacy tests to gain eligibility for voting. Despite passing federal legislation that outlawed such restrictions in the 1960s, recent Supreme Court actions have reestablished voter suppression.
Although there is a long track record of racist turmoil, Gov. Reeves has stated that systemic racism is nonexistent in America.
University’s Response
Following the altercation, Ole Miss Chancellor Glenn Boyce sent a letter to students and faculty. The letter said in part that the school is investigating the incident and that the actions were “offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable, including actions that conveyed hostility and racist overtones.”
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He also addressed the complicated history of the school. “While we are a modern university with a vibrant community of more than 25,000 people, it is important to acknowledge our challenging history, and incidents like this can set us back. It is one reason why we do not take this lightly and cannot let the unacceptable behavior of a few speak for our institution or define us. We are a community of scholars committed to creating an academic experience that respects the dignity of each individual.”
Boyce went on to say that while they cannot release the name of the student, they had initiated an investigation.
The Black Student Union at Ole Miss posted a statement expressing their solidarity with the UMiss of Palestine protesters and all their organization stands for.
They also commented on last week’s protest incident. “We extend our solidarity with the nonviolent demonstrators who were advocating for Palestine and the ongoing genocide. The students were exercising their right under the First Amendment, while the counter-protesters were present with malicious intent as well as a prominent lack of knowledge on the situation at hand.”
Student Expelled from Ole Miss Fraternity for Offensive Behavior
After the investigation identified the student as a Phi Delta Theta fraternity member, the organization released the following statement.
“The past few weeks have been challenging for many colleges and universities across the United States as they struggle to balance the protection of free speech with maintaining appropriate and respectful discourse among demonstrators and others within the campus community.”
It goes on to say that they recognize freedom of expression as part of the collegiate experience. Last week’s actions, however, go against the fraternity’s principles as a private organization.
“After reviewing the incident, it was determined that the individual’s behavior was unacceptable. The action in question was offensive, outside the bounds of this discourse, and contradictory to our values.” The fraternity has since expelled the member from its ranks.