A street sign is seen at the intersection of Fraternity Row and Confederate Drive on campus. (Photo/Thomas Graning)
Chancellor Dan Jones’ announcement of The University of Mississippi’s action plan at the beginning of August called for implementing certain changes within the UM campus. Among these was the changing of two campus road names in response to an assessment completed by a Sensitivity and Respect Committee in the summer of 2013.
The roads under revision are Confederate Drive and Coliseum Drive. Due to the opening of the university’s new basketball venue, The Pavilion, in December 2015, the name “Coliseum Drive” is prone to cause confusion for some. Ole Miss officials announced that the road will now be referred to as “Chucky Mullins Drive” in honor of the late football player who suffered a paralyzing spinal injury in 1989 while playing for the Rebels.
The name of Confederate Drive, however, is being changed for cultural reasons. “Confederate” and “confederacy” are words that are used often around the university but for many, the terms carry blatant undertones of racial tensions that Ole Miss has long striven to leave in the past.
Donald Cole, assistant provost for multicultural affairs and chair of the committee that conducted the initial assessment, has long supported the changing of the road names and welcomes the transition.
“Some of the names are divisive and have always been,” Cole said. “Increasingly, they have become a liability that dates our institution and depicts the university as a non-progressive institution. If these streets were new, they would not likely inherit their current names. There are places for which the current names are more appropriate than at a public university.”
While there are critics of the name change from Confederate Drive to Chapel Lane, many students and faculty members seem to be embracing the situation as more of a progression than an alteration.
“I appreciate the tradition and the history of the road names but that shouldn’t trump progress,” graduate student Taylor Smith said. “If someone has an issue with what we call the roads, then those people deserve to voice their opinion as well.”
Michael Barnett, chair of the faculty senate, was given the opportunity to meet with one of the outside consultants the university hired. Barnett said that while they did not play any final decision making roles in the situation, the UM Faculty Senate had a representative on the Sensitivity and Respect Committee to make sure that everyone’s opinion and insight was heard.
“Providing contemporary context for our existing symbols and names is an important step in educating our campus community on the history of the buildings and the grounds that surround us,” Barnett said. “Additionally, Chucky Mullins is a unifying figure on our campus and recognizing him in this way is an appropriate honor.”
