OXFORD, Miss. – Social integration is the subject of a
roundtable discussion Wednesday (Oct. 24) at the University
of Mississippi.
The 6:30 p.m. program in Nutt Auditorium of Scruggs Hall is
free and open to the public.
“Confronting Social Segregation at Ole Miss: A Roundtable
Discussion” is to feature participants from several
different student groups.
Panelists include Sydney McGaha, director of diversity
affairs for the Associated Student Body; Bryan Doyle, an
intern with the William Winter Institute for Racial
Reconciliation; Megan McRaney, a leader of Respect
Mississippi and ASB chief of staff; Annette Hollowell, a
third-year law student and intern with the Winter
Institute; and Kenneth Brown, representing the Black
Student Union. Jeffrey Jackson, associate professor of
sociology and anthropology, is the moderator.
The session is intended to open dialogue about social
integration issues at Ole Miss, McGaha said.
“It’s not about just discussing the problem, but also
talking about ways to address the issue,” McGaha said.
“This roundtable is a vehicle for bringing together people
from various backgrounds and asking them what can be done
to make a change.”
The idea for the event emerged from discussions among
faculty members, Jackson said.
“A group of faculty members from different departments,
such as African-American studies, political science,
sociology and anthropology, and history, discussed ways to
have a beneficial dialogue regarding social integration
following the DKE incident,” Jackson said. “These students
will discuss their efforts to bridge the divide between
students of different races and help identify those
obstacles that make it hard to close that divide.”
The topics to be addressed are generally not discussed in
social situations, McRaney said.
“These topics we’re going to discuss are those that most
people are uncomfortable talking about,” she said. “Issues
such as the DKE incident and the lack of social integration
are coming up, and most people avoid these issues unless it
is in an academic environment.”
The intent is not to talk at students but to offer
discussion about ways to change the atmosphere, said Marvin
King, assistant professor of political science.
“This discussion is not to lecture at students about social
integration but to engage in constructive dialogue,” King
said. “We want to figure out how we can get students at
this university working together, socializing together and
engaging in activities together because they want to, not
because it’s expected.”
The focus of the discussion is to learn about obstacles
student organizations have faced while trying to integrate
student life at Ole Miss, Jackson said.
“We want to make this a dialogue that does not point
fingers or cast blame,” he said. “We want to look at ways
to overcome social segregation at this school.”
For more information or for assistance related to a
disability, call 662-915-5408.