‘It screams hate.’ Mississippi college coaches rally in Jackson to change state flag
College coaches and athletics administrators gathered in Jackson on Thursday to let members of the state legislature know how big a burden the Mississippi state flag has been on their recruiting efforts and universities as a whole.
The coaches are hoping to push forward an effort to remove the Confederate emblem from the state, which has recently gained momentum in the state legislature.
Ole Miss men’s basketball Kermit Davis recalled a recent meeting he had with his team where the flag brought about an emotional response from his players.
“They looked at me and said, ‘Coach, there have been no SEC and no NCAA championships here because of the flag. We want change,’” Davis said. “All the coaches want change and they want it now.”
Davis, a Leakesville native, and Mississippi State women’s basketball coach Nikki McCrary addressed the media Thursday, urging lawmakers to vote to remove the Confederate emblem from the state flag.
The coaches, who were joined by House Speaker Philip Gunn, wore protective masks and nodded their approval as Davis and McCray explained why they think there should be no delay in changing the flag. The new football coaches at the state’s two SEC programs, Mississippi State’s Mike Leach and Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, were also in attendance.
‘Racist undertones’ of state flag
McCray, a Tennessee native, spoke about how the Confederate emblem has long been an offensive symbol for her.
“I know first hand what it feels like to see a Confederate flag and pretend it doesn’t have a racist, violent or oppressive overtone,” said McCray, who is black. “It screams hate and it hurts me to my core. Our student-athletes and our entire student body don’t just commit to compete and represent Mississippi State. They commit and compete in representing the entire state of Mississippi.
“One of the reasons I came to Mississippi State is because I knew we could be successful. Change is important for the success of our athletics program and our university and our entire state.”
The NCAA announced last week that it would bar all of its championship events from taking place in Mississippi, ending NCAA baseball regionals and NCAA women’s basketball tournament games in the Magnolia State if the flag goes unchanged. Conference USA has also stepped forward to ban its championship events from the state and the SEC has warned Ole Miss and Mississippi State that it may no longer host conference championships if the Confederate emblem remains.
Philip Gunn speaks out
Gunn, a leading Republican proponent of changing the flag, gave an impassioned speech, thanking the coaches for stepping up in support of the effort.
“These people can be anywhere in America, but they’ve chosen to be here in the capitol of Mississippi. This highlights the importance of the issue,” Gunn said.
The State House is considering a resolution to suspend rules and allow the legislature to consider a bill to change the state flag before the current session ends on Friday.
“This state is screaming for change,” Gunn said. “This issue needs to be resolved and resolved quickly. The longer it goes, the more it festers and the harder it’s going to be later on.
“The image of the state is at stake. The world wants to know what we as a state stand for. This image has been co-opted in a way that represents hatred and racism. That’s just a fact.”
Southern Miss football coach Jay Hopson was unable to make the trip. His father, Dr. Briggs Hopson Jr., died last weekend. USM men’s basketball coach Jay Ladner, baseball coach Scott Berry and women’s basketball coach Joye Lee-McNelis were at the Capitol building on Thursday.
This story was originally published June 25, 2020 at 12:28 PM.
