Nia Hinson
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
In October and November 2015, the University of Missouri’s campus saw protests, hunger strikes, and ultimately, a change in leadership.
Students on campus were protesting racial inequalities and what many felt like was a lack of accountability from those in charge — specifically, former University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe. Many Black students on campus said that they had been called racial slurs, were harassed on campus and faced discrimination.
All of which they claim Wolfe brushed off, leading to national attention.
In August 2015, the university announced it would no longer pay for graduate students’ health insurance. The decision was ultimately reversed, but led to rallies on campus. Former Missouri Student Association President Payton Head also posted on social media a month later that he had experienced racial discrimination.
The following month, MU Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin ordered diversity and inclusion training for all students and staff in 2016.
Concerned Student 1950 wasn’t satisfied.
The group — made up of student activists on campus — protested and boycotted, hoping the university would work to become a more inclusive place. The group staged a protest during the university’s homecoming parade on Oct. 10.
Protesters stood outside of Wolfe’s vehicle. After Wolfe did not respond to the group’s concerns or to claims that graduate student Jonathan Butler was bumped by a car, they took a more formal way of getting their point across. They released a list of demands 10 days later.
The list laid out several changes students wanted to see at the university. This included Wolfe’s resignation, along with a handwritten apology, the creation of a racial awareness and inclusion curriculum throughout campus, and the university’s percentage of black faculty and staff increasing to 10% by the 2017-2018 academic year.
Wolfe later met with the group, but didn’t agree to any of their demands.
Concerned Student 1950 list of demandsDownload
Butler took things a step further. On Nov. 2, he began a hunger strike on campus, claiming he wouldn’t eat until Wolfe was removed from his position. It was a move that would quickly grow, with students of Concerned Student 1950 buying a tent and staking out near Carnahan Quadrangle. Tents would later fill the grass on the quad, and hundreds of students would stop by to show support.
Wolfe issued a statement addressing race issues on campus as Butler’s strike continued.
Five days later, on Nov. 7, minority athletes from the Missouri Tigers football team showed their support, jump-starting the national attention. The players vowed to stop participating in any football-related activities until Wolfe resigned or was removed, claiming he was negligent toward marginalized student experiences.
We’re black. Black is powerful. Our struggle may look different, but we are all #ConcernedStudent1950 pic.twitter.com/obCjSWCFVY
— HeMadeAKing (@1Sherrils_2MIZZ) November 8, 2015
Mizzou Athletics later released a statement saying it supported its athletes’ right to try and tackle issues on campus. Missouri football coach Gary Pinkel also came out in support.
On Nov. 9, 2015, Wolfe resigned, and Loftin said he would also step down. That would put to an end what had become Butler’s week-long hunger strike.
In an email obtained by ABC 17 News months after his resignation, Wolfe listed several reasons for his decision to step away, including political pressure, the football team’s role and campus safety as key contributors. Wolfe wrote that his decision was largely motivated by a “significant pending event,” claiming law enforcement was made aware of a Ferguson, Missouri, protester on campus, and that there was a threat that more would come on Nov. 10.
In a news conference, Wolfe said at the time that his resignation was motivated by love and asked people to use it as a time to heal.
The protests also led to clashes with media, with MU communications professor Melissa Click being suspended after being caught on video trying to keep journalists away from protesters. Click later said she regretted her actions.
Missouri football players later resumed team activities and the University of Missouri Board of Curators announced Mike Middleton as the interim president for the UM System. The board also turned over MU chancellor responsibilities from Loftin to interim Chancellor Hank Foley.
ABC 17 News takes a closer look at what current students on MU’s campus think about the progress made within the last 10 years in a special report on Sunday at 10 on KMIZ.
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