Journalism school’s namesake posts racist comment online

Published 8:51 am Thursday, September 20, 2018

OXFORD (AP) — A University of Mississippi official says the man after whom its journalism school was named has shared a post on social media with an “unjustified racial overtone.”

News outlets quote Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter as urging Edwin Meek to apologize for a Facebook post that pictures two black women and asks community leaders to protect Ole Miss’ values. Meeks’ Saturday post has since been taken down.

Meeks said he believed it was important the community see “what the camera is seeing at 2 a.m. after a ballgame” saying real estate values and tax revenues will fall. The school’s Black Student Union says the juxtaposition implies real estate values are dropping because of the increased presence of black women.

An online petition is asking for the graduate’s name to be removed.

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