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NAACP Wants Softball Regional Moved Over State Flag
Photo by Paul Keelaghan
Ole Miss softball earned the right to host an NCAA regional this upcoming weekend after winning the SEC Tournament. The NAACP is requesting that the site of the regional be moved outside of the state of Mississippi because the state’s flag bears the confederate emblem.
The Associated Press reported that Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson called the flag a “racial hate symbol” and is attempting to ban any and all tournaments from states which prominently display confederate imagery.
“Racial hate symbols are the same regardless of the tournament being played,” Johnson told the AP.
The NAACP’s demands come despite the fact that the University of Mississippi has not flown the state flag since the decision was made to remove it from the campus in 2015. The flag hasn’t been flown in athletic facilities since 2014. Ole Miss is one of the eight public universities that chose not to fly the flag.
HottyToddy.com reached out to the athletic department and was referred to the university’s announcement from 2015 regarding the removal of the flag.
While the magnolia state hasn’t been selected to host a “pre-selected championship” game since 2001, Mississippi State was able to host games during the women’s NCAA Tournament because of their #1 seeding.
Gail Dent, a spokeswomen for the NCAA, noted that it is the right of the athletes to play at home, based on performance. The NCAA has a policy concering the confederate flag, but this issue doesn’t fall under that policy.
“Championships where student-athletes earn the opportunity to play a championship on their own campus are not covered in the Confederate flag policy,” Dent said Tuesday. “This distinction is consistent with the NCAA’s commitment to student-athletes.”
The Oxford regional begins this Friday with Ole Miss taking on Southern Illinois at 8:30 p.m.
Steven Gagliano is a writer for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at steven.gagliano@hottytoddy.com.
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Elizabeth Del Grego
May 17, 2017 at 2:51 pm
How about NORTHERN States who have a flag that I find scary or offensive? And that meanie looking bear on the California flag REALLY upsets me. Can you please move your tournaments out of those States, too? You wouldnt want me to feel uncomfortable, would you?
Mark
May 17, 2017 at 3:34 pm
Will the coloreds ever stop whining?
Matt
May 17, 2017 at 10:41 pm
Why does this Johnson character think he can declare that our flag is a “hate” symbol. Who appointed him judge and jury?
I can assure everyone that the state flag on my front porch does not represent hate.
Tom
May 20, 2017 at 10:40 am
I too am sick and tired of this constant assault by these hate organizations. If you are offended by the Mississippi state flag, don’t go there! To try to deny these young ladies the privilege of playing at their home field, a privilege that they EARNED, is in my opinion, hate at its finest.
Please Mississippi, stand up for your state, encourage your leaders in Jackson to resist these attacks. I’m from Alabama, sadly our state leadership has failed to stand up for our state.
I agree with Elizabeth, where does this “I’m Offended By” stop. a lot of state flags have quotes in latin on them, maybe latin offends someone. The Hawaiian state flag has the British Union Jack on it, maybe that offends someone.
ENOUGH !!