Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-2-2023
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Public Policy Leadership
First Advisor
Melissa Bass
Second Advisor
Eva Payne
Third Advisor
W. Ralph Eubanks
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
This thesis explores what instigated changes in how the University of Mississippi deals with its history of racism, how effective those responses have been, and where improvements in its response can be made. A timeline of UM’s history, interviews, and a review of the recommended and implemented contextualization efforts on campus offer insight into the tangible changes in policies at the university. Interviews with former Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on History and Context members and student leaders reveal the varying perspectives and goals that had to be compromised, and an overwhelming sense that the University of Mississippi’s failure to pursue a more meaningful contextual process is limiting its relationship to students and hindering its role to the state. In aggregate, the data collected and discussed suggest that the University of Mississippi has a tendency to conflate the accomplishment of a goal with the conclusion of the process. The contextualization process is not about erasing history or silencing difficult conversations–it is about being able to answer “who the hell are we.”
Recommended Citation
Wiggins, Ashton, "Historical Truth Hurts: Administrative Response to the Contextualization of Slavery and Racism on the University of Mississippi Campus" (2023). Honors Theses. 2981.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/2981
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