In the News: Mizzou Student Activism Forces Resignation of University President

We’re trying out a new use for the SRC blog, sharing articles on current events related to social justice issues. Recent developments at the University of Missouri present a powerful and still developing story with which to launch this new feature. On November 2, Jonathan Butler, a graduate student at the university, began a hunger strike to protest racist conditions on campus and call for the resignation or removal of Tim Wolfe, president of the University of Missouri. Butler’s protest was not isolated, but part of an ongoing struggle by campus activists frustrated with incidents of racism and with Wolfe’s perceived inaction in response to their concerns. This weekend, more than 30 players from the school’s football team announced on social media that they would not participate in any practices or games until Wolfe resigned or was removed from office. Their head coach and the coaching staff officially threw their support behind the student-athletes. A number of faculty planned to walk out of their classrooms today and hold a teach-in to support student activists. Then, this afternoon, Wolfe resigned from his position. 

Here are links to a selection of articles on what has happened so far at Missouri. In the comments, please feel free to share other articles that you find useful for illuminating these events, fleshing out the bigger picture, or continuing the conversation about student (and student-athlete) activism. 

The archive page for The Maneater, the student newspaper of the University of Missouri. Most of the articles from the last three days speak to some aspect of this situation and reflect a variety of viewpoints on campus. They include an interactive timeline of the football boycott.

From The Missourian, an article about Wolfe’s resignation that includes links to earlier articles that provide an overview of recent events on the campus: “UM President Out: Wolfe’s tenure ends amid hunger strike, protests, football player boycott.”

A piece by Dave Zirin on The Nation that frames this action in the context of anti-racist student activism and ongoing student-athletes’ labor struggles: “Black Mizzou Football Players are Going on Strike Against Campus Racism.”

From Philip Bump, writing for the Washington Post: “How the Missouri football team just took down its university president.”

A longer piece by Wesley R. Bishop and Andrew McGregor that provides historical context for the actions taken by the Mizzou football players: “Tiger Power: Racism, Protest, and Mizzou Football.”