JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A donor’s name is being removed from the University of Mississippi journalism school after his Facebook post drew backlash for being racist.
Trustees of the state College Board voted unanimously Thursday to strip Ed Meek’s name from the Meek School of Journalism and New Media. The academic unit is now known just as the School of Journalism and New Media.
Meek requested his name be removed days after posting photos last month of two black women in short dresses. He suggested they exemplified problems that threatened the economy of the college town of Oxford.
The women were Ole Miss students who said they dressed up after a football game. Both called his post offensive.
The school was named for Meek after he and his wife donated $5.3 million in 2009.
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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.
