UPDATE: 11:15 am, Monday, Nov. 9
Butler has announced on his Facebook, “The #MizzouHungerStrike is over!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
The AP also confirms.
BREAKING: University of Missouri System president resigns amid criticism of handling of racial issues.
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 9, 2015
Black professors reportedly announced their walkout last night.
Students at Missouri University were continuing a fight for equality over the weekend. A fight which now includes the entire Missouri Tigers football team.
Students claim the Columbia campus has grown significantly more hostile since last year’s shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO. However, the past several weeks have led to a movement possibly unprecedented for generations.
Students are demanding the removal of Missouri school President Tim Wolfe for failing to address reported widespread racism on campus.
The Columbia Missourian broke down the most recent incidents as such:
- Sept. 12: Missouri Students Association president Payton Head posts about a racial slur directed at him.
- Oct. 5: Legion of Black Collegians members are the targets of racial slurs by a man on campus.
- Oct. 10: Members of Concerned Student 1950 protest during the MU Homecoming Parade, blocking a car carrying UM System President Tim Wolfe.
- Oct. 21: Concerned Student 1950 issues a statement of demands, including a formal apology from Wolfe and his removal from office.
- Oct. 24: A swastika using human feces is drawn on a bathroom wall in MU’s Gateway Hall
The homecoming parade incident, in which students claim Wolfe’s car bumped a protestor, along with the swastika weeks later, appeared to be the last straw for Jonathan Butler, a respected grad student who began a hunger strike a week ago. He still has not eaten and says he is prepared to die for the cause unless Wolfe resigns.
The activists also leading the charge is #ConcernedStudent1950, a group whose name symbolizes the year Missouri first admitted black students.
But the movement really picked up huge steam Saturday night with this Facebook post.
Yup, that’s Butler posting a message from at least 32 Mizzou football players.
But then another announcement came Sunday morning, further solidifying the unifying move when Mizzou head coach Gary Pinkel sent out this Tweet, which appears to be with the ENTIRE football team.
The Mizzou Family stands as one. We are united. We are behind our players. #ConcernedStudent1950 GP pic.twitter.com/fMHbPPTTKl
— Coach Gary Pinkel (@GaryPinkel) November 8, 2015
And Pinkel claims they won’t practice until Butler eats.
Monday morning the Missouri Student Association even released this statement backing the movement and demanding the removal of Wolfe, saying that campus culture has grown “tumultuous” since the shooting of Brown last year and that the safety of black students on campus has become compromised.
Mizzou is supposed to play BYU at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City this weekend. Of course the well-being of Butler is priceless, but the fact that Missouri will have to pay BYU $1 million for breaking their contract upon a forfeit only further presses Wolfe resolves this matter quickly.
Wolfe released a statement days ago acknowledging racism on campus and that he and the administration have been taking action to address the growing issue on campus. He also reportedly said he will not step down.
No question this story will only grow exponentially in the next couple of days.
What will happen to Butler?
Will more students fly into Columbia to help the protest?
Will more teams follow the Tigers’ lead to start their own movement on campus?
The Missouri Tigers football team is now at the forefront of an on-campus movement not seen in decades. Let’s hope for peace and clarity and that all those involved don’t repeat history.
Josh Helmuth is the editor of CraveOnline Sports.
