Mississippi State students protest flying of state flag
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) – A group of students at Mississippi State University have issued a list of demands to President Mark Keenum and his administration as part of a protest sparked by the university’s continued flying of the state flag.
About 100 students held a sit-in Wednesday at Lee Hall, which houses Keenum’s office. Organizers told The Commercial Dispatch they wanted to show support for lowering and changing the state flag, which now bears a Confederate symbol. They also issued a list of demands related to minority issues they say administrators are ignoring.
In addition to the flag issue, the group wants the administration to equalize funding and support for black student organizations; increase minority faculty hires; address retention and graduation rates for African-American students and facilitate more diversity and sensitivity training.
