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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

In an email to university employees and alumni Thursday, University of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones said he is gratified by early good results of his lymphoma treatment at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

The Jackson Free Press received this letter to the editor this morning via our web comment form and confirmed it’s from Dan Jones, former Chancellor of the University of Mississippi. Verbatim below:

Editor:

I join my voice to that of others encouraging a change in our state flag. My life experience has offered many opportunities for conversations with many people from all walks of life about our state flag and other symbols of the Confederacy. It is clear to me that symbols matter. It is time to change this one.

To my friends who point out the protection offered by our nation’s constitution to express ourselves freely, I point out the sentiment from Holy Scripture that calls on each of us to give up our own rights for the sake of others.

These thoughts are offered from me individually and not representing any organization.

Dan Jones Citizen of Mississippi

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.