Lessons learned from the past

Kristen Stephens

Jour 271

September 26, 2012

Word count: 433 words

Eagles speaks

UNIVERSITY, Miss. - As the 50th anniversary of integration draws near, Ole Miss focuses on how it has developed over the years and the contrast of the present-day campus to the its atmosphere in 1962. To highlight and answer questions about the university’s past, Dr. Charles Eagles, William F Winter professor of history at the University of Mississippi, lectured ideas about segregation and lessons the university learned brought out in his book, The Price of Defiance.

    Eagles recalled if he were to look at the media’s coverage of segregation in Mississippi, the issue would seem to have blossomed suddenly. However, prejudice and segregation had been a problem in Mississippi for many years.

    “The riot here appears somewhat of a historical mushroom,” Eagles said.

    He continued to say that there had been a few times before Meredith’s enrollment that the issue of segregation had been brought up to the chancellor, JD Williams, but nothing had every come of it. He said the chancellor would brush off the situation by commenting he would stand up for integration when the time was right. 

    “He didn’t stand up for the values he should have,” Eagles said.

    Many times integration was brought before the public’s eyes. Yet, each time the public would expel whatever source had brought it up. Eagles commented the community acted as a whole and that most everyone wanted to forget the issue of segregation.

    “There was, I think, a real spirit of conformity here,” Eagles said.

    In comparison to Ole Miss and Oxford today, Eagles suggested the community needs to talk and educate its people about the lessons that can be learned from the university’s past.

    “We shouldn’t just celebrate,” Eagles said. “We shouldn’t just commemorate. We should teach.”

    According to Eagles, the community must learn from past events that it has an impact and that it should be watchful of how its culture develops.

    “What we should learn from all this is the importance of the nurture of our culture here,” Eagles said.

    Engaged in the lecture, Dr. Mark Dolan, associate professor of journalism and new media, asked Eagles if he thought the university and community should apologize for its faults.

    “I’m on treacherous ground here,” Eagles said. “I would be satisfied right now if we taught more correctly the mistakes that have been made.”

    Present in the crowd, Chancellor Dan Jones commented that over the next couple of weeks he aimed to admit the campus’ past mistakes and show his deep regret for the injustices of the past. Chancellor Jones also said his goal is to make a commitment to do better in the future.

Dr. Eagles

eagles@olemiss.edu

Dr. Mark Kenneth Dolan 

mdolan@olemiss.edu

Chancellor Dan Jones

chancllr@olemiss.edu