The University Of Missouri Football Players Strike To End Campus Racism

 


In recent months racism has been spreading throughout the University of Missouri campus. Now 32 African-American football players have gone on strike, refusing to play until the university’s president resigns. As president, Tim Wolfe has been intentionally negligent in handling discrimination on campus.

The players said:

“The athletes of color on the University of Missouri football team truly believe ‘Injustice Anywhere is a threat to Justice Everywhere,” the caption read. “We will no longer participate in any football related activities until President Tim Wolfe resigns or is removed due to his negligence toward marginalized students’ experiences. WE ARE UNITED!!!!!”

The move comes after Jonathan Butler, a graduate student at MU went on a hunger strike because of discrimination on campus. Butler said that:

“For some that may seem like a flamboyant statement but when you sit back and reflect on the fact that a MU student felt comfortable enough with the campus culture to use their own feces to draw a swastika on campus, that really tells you about the direction in which the University of Missouri is headed”.

But this incident isn’t the first; student body president Payton Head was walking around campus one day and a group of students repeatedly directed the use of the N-Word towards him.

In October while the Legion of Black Collegians were rehearsing for a play, another group of students again directed the use of the N-Word toward the actors, and the university once again down-played the incident.

Thirty-two of the 60 black players on the university’s football team have taken a stand, including the team’s starting running back and cornerback.

What makes the stand even stronger is the backing the players have received from their coaching staff who have overlooked what it may do to the team’s performance on the field for the well-being of their players.


The MU football team are not alone in taking a stand against racism on college campuses. This past March, the University of Oklahoma’s football team walked out of practice for an on-campus protest after a video of an OU fraternity’s racist chant surfaced.

Image courtesy of HeMadeAKing via Twitter

Tanner Bisbee hails from the great State of Maine. He's a full time college student and serves on the football staff at school. His most notable work to date is his book Modern Day Sports Blog. To read more check out my blog http://moderndaysportsandpolitics.blogspot.com/