COLUMBIA, Miss., Nov. 9 (UPI) — University of Missouri football coach Gary Pinkel has voiced support for his players’ strike seeking to oust the university’s president amid racially charged incidents.
The team’s players announced their decision to not participate in football-related activities in support of graduate student Jonathan Butler’s hunger strike demanding university President Tim Wolfe resign or be removed from his post.
“The athletes of color on the University of Missouri football team truly believe ‘Injustice Anywhere is a threat to Justice Everywhere,’” the players said in a statement. “We will no longer participate in any football-related activities until President Tim Wolfe resigns or is removed due to his negligence toward marginalized students’ experience.”
Butler, who is black, began a water-only hunger strike Nov. 2. After the black football players announced the strike, the white players soon supported their decision. Coach Pinkel then did the same. The ConcernedStudent1950 organization has staged protests and used its name as a hashtag to bring attention to its cause.
“Today, Sunday, there will be no football practice or formal team activities. Our focus right now is on the health of Jonathan Butler, the concerns of our student-athletes and working with our community to address this serious issue,” Pinkel said in a statement Sunday. “After meeting with the team this morning, it is clear they do not plan to return to practice until Jonathan resumes eating. We are continuing to have department, campus and student meetings as we work through this issue and will provide further comment tomorrow afternoon.”
Faculty staff are also supporting Butler, the players and “student activists who are advocating for racial justice on our campus” by staging a walkout Tuesday. It is unclear how many faculty staff will participate in the walkout.
The football team is scheduled to host Brigham Young University on Saturday. Skipping the game would cost the university more than $1 million. The university’s Board of Curators governing body scheduled a meeting for Monday, although the topic was not released.
Butler announced his hunger-strike decision in a letter to the Board of Curators over “a slew of racist, sexist, homophobic, etc., incidents that have dynamically disrupted the learning experience” of minority groups at Missouri.
One such incident included someone drawing a swastika on a residence hall wall by using human feces last month. On Sunday, a truck displaying a Confederate flag drove by protesters.
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon issued a statement expressing concern.
“Racism and intolerance have no place at the University of Missouri or anywhere in our state,” Nixon said. “Our colleges and universities must be havens of trust and understanding. These concerns must be addressed to ensure the University of Missouri is a place where all students can pursue their dreams in an environment of respect, tolerance and inclusion.”
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