The integration process as a whole was seen as an issue back in the 60s, especially in the south. White people were not willing to accept the fact that black people were equal to them. Whites saw the blacks as a problem, whereas the blacks saw the whites and their unwillingness to accept them as the problem. It was evident in the 30 for 30 about the Ghosts of Ole Miss that the whites acted as though they were superior. As shown in the documentary, they would spray them with powerful hoses, try to break their belongings, and block them from attaining something that they had. Now fast forward about 50-60 years. We live in a world where equality is fought for every day, by just about every race. While we cannot claim that the world, let alone our country is equal, we can look at how far we have come since that dark period of time. Proof of this can be found in the Common Application, used for applying to colleges. When filling out basic information about yourself, one of the things you need to identify is your race. There are about five or six different boxes (which enclose about every race) that you can choose from. This is pure proof that we have come a long way since the 60s. Even though I cannot speak for what the college application/process was like back then, it was clear that no other race besides white was accepted at the time.
So now what? Even though people are working every day in order to make this country and world a more equal place, do we forget about the past? I personally do not think so. If we forgot about it, the chances of it being repeated are higher than if we took the time to acknowledge what happened. As said by Buzz Bissinger in his article Harlem Lax when addressing equality among sports and within young people, “you see tiny miracles every day big and small”. Equality is a topic that still is being addressed today and by reflecting on our actions, we may be able to solve this problem peacefully.
The documentary “Ghosts of Ole Miss” addresses the impact integration can have on sports through the famous 1962 football season when Ole Miss had its only undefeated season and what happened after it. 1962 is the year when Ole Miss was forced to integrate black students into their school. It was only one student, but the backlash the faculty, students, and alumni had for it were immense and it tore the school apart. People there would have rather “keep the school closed than let a black into their school.” Enraged, the school united around their football team. Their football games looked like snapshots of the past, as if the confederacy never lost the war. In the documentary, Confederate flags could be seen waved around in games and Dixie, the national anthem of the confederacy, was played regularly at games as a fight song.
The integration of black students into their school slowly brought awareness to these traditions and changed them for the better. According to a NYTimes article, symbols and songs with negative connections to the racist south have been discouraged at football games and have been changed. Dixie is no longer played at games, and confederate flags appear less. Colonel Reb the mascot, a white plantation, was changed to black bear in order to remove the mascot’s racist connotations. The school has done a good job of trying to sever its connection to the confederacy at football games. Integration at Ole Miss has allowed for black athletes to compete on the previously only white Ole Miss football games and now blacks and whites to enjoy the college football games together.
This reflects the ever changing and advancing racial landscape of the US. As the US became much more accepting of all races, schools and sports became much more accepting too. This can be seen through comparison of Ole Miss in 1962 and Ole Miss now. Pep rallies and games were once dominated by whites and symbols of the past that represent the confederacy, but now are shared between whites and blacks. This reflects the modern era and how racism is no longer accepted in our society. We have become a much more inclusive society and exclusion of people based on any agenda is frowned upon.
Many professional or collegiate athletes and teams are held to a high standard and receive media attention from many different outlets, so they can reach a lot of people and make a big difference in terms of combatting racism in sports as well as society. The Ghosts of Ole Miss documentary showed how the school worked to become more accepting of integration and less racially offensive by getting rid of offensive symbols surrounding sporting events even though they have historic and traditional roots at the University. Banning the racially insensitive confederate flag from being held at Ole Miss football games and changing the school mascot from a plantation owner to a black bear, changed the school climate and reflected the growing sensitivity and inclusiveness of the times. Sports also combat racism in society by uniting Americans from all different backgrounds, races, religions, and genders to come together and almost forget what is taking place in the real world. Ole Miss used the 1962 football team to rally together and celebrate their school in a time of violence, negative publicity, and hatred. The rebels undefeated season was a necessity for the University as it was the only positive thing occurring at the school during the time.
The Ghosts of Ole Miss documentary also showed how acknowledging the past can be painful. Some people might want to protect their children from hearing it just like how the 30 for 30 narrator’s parents let him continue to sleep while white supremacists burned the cross in their lawn. His parents hoped to protect him and end the “passing of fear and hate to the next generation.” Other people might not be prepared to accept what happened, however, accepting the past is the only way to move forward. Without accepting the past people deny that they did anything wrong, when they should really be learning from the mistakes of the past and working to ensure the past never repeats itself. In the end of the film the narrator says; “Mississippi was.. but Mississippi is” as a way to show that although terrible crimes of hate and discrimination took place on the Ole Miss campus, the college and students have evolved and are changing for the better. The mascot was even changed from a Southern plantation owner to a black bear.
Through Wright Thompson’s journey to uncover the past about Ole Miss, its football team, and its issues with race, the cost of acknowledging and failing to acknowledge our past is examined. In the film, Thompson acknowledges Mississippi’s as well as the university’s past, specifically the riots and reaction to James Meredith being enrolled in the school. Thompson says that this has hurt the reputation of Mississippi since then, because to a country that was beginning to accept integration in some parts, Mississippi was protesting. I agree that this has hurt their reputation, but I know that there were protests at other southern schools against integration, so I think that the region, not just Mississippi, has been hurt because of the protests. Besides hurting the current reputation of Ole Miss, acknowledging our past can hurt people. The old mascot, a “white-goateed, cane-toting Southern plantation owner that many have criticized as racist and anachronistic” (NY Times), can easily offend African Americans today. The university has begun to move on by naming its mascot a bear, but by traveling back to the days of segregation, it can upset definitely upset people. Events such as the Confederate flag being waved offends many people, and even former Ole Miss player Buck Randall was angry about how he was portrayed in the film. Although, Thompson’s film argues that it is important to see what happened in the past in order to move forward in the future. I believe that although people may be upset about the past, it is important to acknowledge it because the costs of ignoring it are greater. Thompson says that being ignorant is the greatest cost of failing to acknowledge our past, and I believe we shouldn’t be ignorant to the fact that there were protests against integration. We should learn about this time period to ensure similar events don’t occur in the future towards the same or different groups.
The 30 for 30 "Ghosts of Ole Miss" clearly depicted the segregation and discrimination African-Americans faced in the 1960s and beyond. In 1962 President Kennedy forced Ole Miss to accept their first African-American student, James Meredith. The students, and many faculty members, were enraged. They did not want their school to turn into a "black school" and yelled racial slurs whenever they saw Meredith. The school was filled with racism, Confederate flags were ever present at football games, and the marching band played Dixie frequently. However, as time passed, this racism and discrimination lessened.
For Wright Thompson, the director, this was a difficult film to make. A native Mississippian, he had to research his home's past, and he found many faults in its behavior. He saw the effects of segregation, and even recognized a family member in a photo of a crowd screaming racial slurs at George Meredith. The school's unofficial fight song was "the anthem of the Confederacy" (NY Times), and known as the "National Anthem of Secession" (NY Times). Clearly, this was a school dominated by white Americans, who seemed to disregard the feelings and importance of African-Americans and disapproved of the school's entrance into integration. However, by acknowledging that this existed and that this was wrong is the only way Mississippians can move forward.
Over time, the school came to realize that waving Confederate flags and having a plantation and slave owner as the school's mascot was not ideal, or acceptable. The school changed its mascot to a bear, and these flags no longer dominate the football games. Racism was prominent in the 1960s, but as time passed, the US racial landscape changed. Football brought the white members of the school together in 1962, and the still holds the school together, but all members are included and appreciated this time.
The documentary “Ghosts of Ole Miss” was based on the infamous 1962 undefeated football team. The only time in school history that was achieved. It was also the first year Ole Miss was forced to integrate blacks into their school. Only one black person enrolled, but it was still a massive outrage at the time. People rioted and wanted the school shut down. Eventually the US military had to be called in to protect this one student and escort him to and around the school’s campus. This reflected the time period how different it was to now a days.
Ole Miss has changed over time, and so has the racial landscape of the US. As more and more schools allowed blacks, athletic programs began to allow blacks to join and compete. This changed the racial makeup of teams dramatically. In 2013 57% of all college football players were black (NYT). Some other things changed with the times; the mascot Colonel Reb was changed to the rebel Black Bear. The Colonel was deemed racist and anachronistic because he was a white southern plantation owner. This is a great change because in current times we have eliminated segregation and racism is no longer accepted in our society.
As Wright Thompson unfolded the truths behind the Ole Miss integrating process in 1962 along with the impressive football team at the time. According to the documentary “Ghosts of Ole Miss”, Ole Miss was very slow in the idea of integration in the United States, “There are no black fans in the stadium.” Ole Miss refused to accept the equality of races along with the rest of the world. Ole Miss leaders refused to allow James Meredith, a black veteran, on to campus as a student. As one of the football players at the time put it in “Ghosts of Ole Miss”, “they would let it [the university] be closed before they let it be integrated.” The United States government and President Kennedy couldn’t stand and let this discrimination continue. Therefore, he sent the United States Army to defend James Meredith but there was resistance from the students: “The Civil War broke out at noon and the North is losing.” There were a lot of injuries on both sides with one of the players, Buck Randall, was one of the main fighters defending Ole Miss. The Ole Miss administration and students were closely tied to their affiliations with the Civil War and felt strongly that it is tradition to discriminate and it had to be upheld.
While combating racism in the South along with the rest of the United States, the world needed sports to help them with the process. I believe the sporting world is one of the most important aspects of society to spark change. Everyone loves watching sports and they admire the players with a kind of devotion that is unlike anything else. Once black people were allowed to be integrated into the sporting world, people began to respect black people properly. Not only is sports and other modes for change important, but acknowledging the past is vital. According to The New York Times, “The school has discouraged Confederate battle flags at football games, discontinued “Dixie” as the unofficial fight song and raised enrollment of black students to 14 percent, from 5.8 percent in 1995 (though Mississippi is nearly 40 percent black).” Ole Miss is working towards rightful equality and as it has taken some time and still has some disapproving people, the process is continuing. All we have to do is to acknowledge the past and keep it in mind so that society can do better. Failing to acknowledge our past causes people to ignore our mistakes and then, inevitably, make the mistakes all over again.
The 30 -for-30 “The Ghosts of Ole Miss” touches upon the impact of racial discrimination and the reactions of integration. In 1962, student James Meredith was the first African-American student to enroll at Ole Miss. The students, faculty, and parents were indignant. They didn’t feel it was fair that their school had to accept African American students. The community acted very poorly to this - yelling racial slurs at James Meredith and rioting. This was not a progressive school. There were signs of racism evident everywhere around it, including the marching band playing Dixie, and Confederate Flags being waved at football games. The mascot was “a white-goateed, cane-toting Southern plantation owner that many have criticized as racist and anachronistic,” (Brown, NYT). The riots and racism in response to James Meredith’s attendance at Ole Miss continues to haunt Mississippi today. In the film, Thompson speaks about how these events still hurt Mississippi’s reputation. The University of Mississippi is attempting to take steps to move past this and make up for what they did. The school recently just voted to change the mascot to a bear, and most likely a grey bear because it is the combination of black and white. However, the school should not forget about what happened. Although moving on is important and a big step in the once violently racist Mississippi, people must look to the past to not repeat history. Often when events of the past are forgotten about, they are repeated. James Meredith and his experience at Ole Miss should be a history lesson, teaching students what our country once was. Ole Miss has evolved today from its past. The unprotested involvement of African Americans in a wide scope of sports exhibits that our country, once responding with riots to James Meredith enrolling in Ole Miss, has evolved. The four major sports leagues ban race based discrimination years ago. The U.S. is a better place for African Americans than it once was, but there are still many steps to be taken. There continue to be racial inequalities in sports, particularly the business side of sports.
Can the sporting world combat racism in society? Is this a fair expectation to place on the sporting world? I think that the sporting world has a strong impact on society, and because of that it can help combat racism. In the documentary, Ole Miss was practically torn apart because of a single African American student who just wanted to be treated like a human being. On its own the fact that a documentary focused on the football team was made shows how much of an impact sports have on society. While the school itself was in shambles, the football team beat the odds and had an undefeated season. The success of the football team that year may have very well saved both the reputation of the school and Ole Miss itself. While sports have a huge impact on our society, I do not think it’s a fair expectation to put on the players and others involved in the programs. If the players felt the pressure of saving their school’s reputation then they would not have had nearly as much success. Looking back on these events we can see how much impact they had, but if players are consciously aware of how much pressure may be on them, it blows up the importance of sports to a level that does not make sense. Why do some young adults playing with a ball have to save their University and be an important stepping stone for ending racism in their country? That seems like a tough task to complete. Moving on to the changing of the mascot, I think it represents the entire event all over again, but just on a smaller scale. Changing the mascot represents having integration in the school. A small portion of students accept the change of the mascot, while many criticize the new one and are completely opposed to it. “We’re not giving up,” Mr. Ferguson said. “The Rebel Black Bear is just not the tradition we’re used to at Ole Miss.” The “tradition” of racism and segregation also had opposition when people wanted to change it.
What problems occurred during the integration process?
When the University of Mississippi decided to let James Meredith attend as the first african american student, it created a lot of problems. The other students didn't accept James Meredith because he was different. Not only would they call him bad names, they would also throw things at him. It got so bad that the university had to bring in extra security to protect him. At the time of the integration, people in the south were very racist and didn't want the integration.
What impact did integration have on sports?
Even though James Meredith didn't go to any of the football games, his presence on campus still had a big affect on the football team. They were trying to go undefeated and after all that happened with the integration they really wanted to win. After they won, things changed for the university. They were more accepting of James Meredith and eventually the university would change there mascot and other traditions to become less racist.
The 30 for 30 "The Ghosts of Ole Miss" juxtaposes the racial integration process at Ole Miss alongside the football team during the 1960s. Both aspects of the documentary are approached with a different view. The integration process depicts a shameful and unfortunate period in the universities history. It is often strange for people living the 21st century society to imagine a world where racial equality is viewed with such dismay. Especially as an soon to be college student, it is hard to put myself in the shoes of an African American suffering such hardships solely due to race. Meanwhile, the football team is the school's charm. The team manages to go undefeated and brings the school lots of pride. These two aspects have very different connotations, but relate to each other immensely.
The two events both actually relied on each other to have favorable endings. While people may view the team's success to be in spite of the racial tensions, it could be seen as a result of the tensions. The players knew the destruction and outrage their school was facing, and they knew how vital each of their performances was. Similarly, the integration process relied on the football team to brighten the school during such a harsh time, and managed to unite the school as well. While such expectations for a football team are intense, they were ultimately beneficial for the school.
In terms of the mascot, it is astounding how much controversy there is. One would think that the changing of the mascot would be met with little to no opposition because of the school's reputation involving racism. But the school still struggled to make the change. This shows how difficult it can be for some individuals to escape their past. This seems to also clarifies why integration was met such controversy: people rarely enjoy changing traditions. -Jesse H
The documentary The Ghosts of Ole Miss was a true testament to how radical the 1960s could really be. This film weaves its way through a number of different issues. Each in its own right is important to tackle. James Meredith was the start of it all. He was to be the first African American student enrolled at Ole Miss. Before that could happen though the town wanted to have its opinion on the whole matter stated very clearly. Ole Miss and many others from outside of the campus grounds did not want Meredith enrolled at their school. The racism surrounding Ole Miss was more than enormous. Riots ensued but to the racists vast discontent it did not change the fact that Meredith was going to be the first African American student enrolled at Ole Miss. The riots left a large scar on the campus both physical and emotional, as they did fight against the United States government of course. After Meredith was officially accepted to the University, he wanted to attend a football game and be accepted by the students of Ole Miss. This was something that could not be done though because there would need to be a massive amount of people ready to defend him from the government. It was so dangerous not just because of the mass amount of people at the game. It was dangerous also because most were still deep in the old ways of the confederacy flying the confederate flags proudly in the stands. The flags were banned which only seemed to increase the amount of confederate flags at the game. Ole Miss has come a long way since all of that expired. There was something to note about the Ole Miss football team during all of this. The head coach wanted to show that not everyone at Ole Miss was bad in a sense. He wanted the team to show it. The team captain was the one who tried to calm down the last battle the confederacy would ever have which took place at Ole Miss. The team went on to win the national championship and never rose to such heights again after. It was the team trying to say that this won’t change them as a force on the field and role models off the field. The thing is that they were never the same. Sports can reflect the racial landscape of our country. It is done through its diversity and acceptance of people other than themselves. The effect integrated sports has had on the nation has been more than positive. Sports are becoming true feats of true athleticism, drive, and hard work. The sports world has grown because of integration. In my opinion, it is unfair to place combatting racism in the hands of sports. I say this because sports are not the only place change is made in America. In fact the best way is by seeing how the world combats racism. The working world is where real change is made to me. The cost of not knowing what we have been through in the past is enormous. Change is made only based upon using knowledge gained in the past. Ignorance doesn’t make a nation progress. Unfortunately this is a double edged sword. Acknowledging our past makes us better while at the same time it can hurt us to know what we have been through. There is so much racism and terrible moments in history that it can make some dwell on the bad. It can even make some even less receptive to our improved society. We have to keep moving forward though. We have to continue to show our great moral values.
While I missed the Thursday part of the 30 for 30 on Ole Miss, a brief viewing Friday clearly depicted the hatred and racism from the Ole Miss community around the 1960s.
There are two sides to the story, the integration side where you can see so many people in the community are overwhelmingly angry and riot while supporting the KKK and others who are bystanders and are so disappointed by the racism but don't really react to those rioting. There were many people who recognize how awful the treatment was to blacks, but it is how they were raised and part of their culture they don't know any better. Things like Dixie which have racist connections are viewed by a lot as a symbol of their families and part of the Ole Miss football community. The football team was supposed to cultivate the community to rally around James Meredith who was extremely brave to enroll at Ole Miss, but there was that lasting image of all the hatred and rioting which left many unable to forget the past.
Meredith was the first step in the integration process for Ole Miss. After the football team finished their undefeated season the community seemingly began cultivating around accepting African Americans in their communities and starting leaving racist tardiness like their mascot and the confederate flag behind.
While we are a much less discriminating society today, places like Ole Miss cannot forget the past, no matter how much they would like to. Our country still has a ways to go as well and we can only try to continue moving forward in ensuring that there is equality for all people in our country no matter your skin type.
The 30 for 30 film "The Ghosts of Ole Miss" is a documentary about the integration of Ole Miss and how it affected the football team in the 1960s. James Meredith, an African American, enrolled at Ole Miss in 1962. With the segregated society in place in the South during this time, there was immediate outrage towards Meredith's enrollment. Riots occurred all over campus, and it got to the point where the National Guard was forced to intervene to control the situation. The Ole Miss football team was on track to have a historical season in the SEC. However, when Meredith enrolled, the football games began to be opportunities for riots. Spectators waved Confederate flags at games and sung the song "Dixie" in the stands. "Dixie" was the Confederacy's anthem and it was described in a New York Times article like this: "150 years of history have loaded the song with indelible political, racial, military and social connotations." As you can imagine, these riots were a huge distraction to the football team's winning run. The football team was one of the only groups on campus to make an effort to stop the riots and initiate the integration of Ole Miss. The team wanted to be seen as a lone bright spot of the school in order to maintain their reputation.
Although Mississippians to this day are unhappy about the 1962 events, the subtle progress that was made for integration had huge results. Although the riots occurred, allowing Meredith to enroll sparked a national change. Also, the football team's willingness to support integration had a major impact on integrating sports. The impact the football team had on integrating sports has shaped the sporting world. Today, spectators around the world see sports as a fully integrated environment where athletes of different race interact on a daily basis. The competitive spirit in sports is the only thing on athlete's minds, and the idea of racism has completely disintegrated in sports. Integration in sports has worked so well that I believe it has had an impact on the entire country. Athletes are seen as role models to kids everywhere. Naturally, kids are hesitant to interact with people they believe to be different than them. However, if they see these interactions occurring in sports, they will be more inclined to make these interactions in their lives. Overall, the Ole Miss football team sparked the nation to integrate sports, and the integration of sports has improved the sporting world and all everyday lives.
The Ghosts of Ole Miss documentary showed how the school dealt with racial riots and their aftermath in the 1960s. Banning the Confederate flag, no longer playing Dixie, and changing the mascot to a black bear showed the university’s willingness to adapt to the changing times and promote inclusiveness in Mississippi. Sports also fight racism by bringing together all different backgrounds and act as an escape to “take a break” from the real world. In a time where they desperately needed it, Ole Miss had the football team, who went undefeated against all odds and brought everyone together in support.
The documentary brought up the struggle of integrating Ole Miss with the admission of James Meredith. In a time when other Southern states such as Arkansas and Virginia had already fought the US government over school integration and lost, Ole Miss refused to bend, especially with their governor proudly stating on TV that Ole Miss would never be integrated. The documentary showed the violence directed towards Meredith and the soldiers protecting him and the difficulty the university had in dealing with the aftermath.
The documentary also showed the pain of reflecting on the past, and how Buck Randall refused to be in the documentary because it would bring up bad memories. However, the only way to move forward is acceptance and moving forward together.
Integrating sports in this country had a huge impact on scioty. When Jackie Robinson debuted in 1947 we were living in times of Jim Crow and the country was separated. Then baseball was the most popular sport in America but now with an African American in the sport it was breaking down barriers. If an african american can play baseball with white people then they should be able to go to the movies together and or go to the same restaurant. It made our city more progressive in the way we think. Sports captures the entire world's attention and if you see black and white playing together it can make a huge effect on people. Also with Jackie Robinson you had whites who wanted to kill him but now cheer for him because he plays for there team, so with sports being integrated in our country it makes our city more progressive and accepting. While we do move forward we cannot forget our past. The biggest reason to not forget our past is to make sure that our past does not repeat. The cost is making the same mistake again which is segregation or just being racist. Also to make sure that the people who were wronged get compensated and treated fairly. Finally you cannot see the progress that was made to move forward or the progress that needs to be made.
ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Ghosts of Ole Miss” shows a direct parallel to the the racial discrimination and negative aura African Americans faced 50 years ago. This 30 for 30 shows the journey of the first African American to enter Ole Miss, a white dominated, southern school. His name was James Meredith. When he was admitted, the entire school population was filled with anger and hatred. Numerous things were done to display the school’s white supremacy, such as displaying confederate flags at football games and the repeated playing of “Dixie.” While this was just happening at this university, it symbolizes what was happening in the south and in different parts of America during these times. While integration was becoming more prevalent, alongside it came angry people, who took violence into their own hands. These series of events can be seen as the start of an ending to segregation, and the start of integration.
To me, racially integrated sports and teams represent one of the biggest breakthroughs this country has seen. For James Meredith, his presence successfully helped lessen the racial discrimination at Ole Miss. The university changed traditions as well as changed their mascot. While this is just one man, racial integration through sports has changed society. Take Jackie Robinson, one of the biggest symbols in American sports history. This man endured countless hate for wanting to play baseball, which was previously seen as a “white man’s sport.” In today’s day and age, team’s rosters across all sports are now integrated and possess minimal race issues, when compared to 50 years ago.
Lastly, Ole Miss has seen their African American population increase. Ole Miss is now 16.6% African American(CBS), obviously seeing a major increase from that one African American student, James Meredith. James Meredith is an unsung hero. His presence and enrollment in the school helped transform racial boundaries and segregation.
Integration in sports has had a major effect on this country. Racial equality has come a long way since the integration in sports but we still have a ways to go. Sports can be used to combat racism and other political injustices but yet even in todays world sports have reminisce of racisms in it. Everyone Can think of famous moments in sports that made a political stance combating racism or injustice. The 1968 olympics when Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists on the podium, Jackie Robinson joining the MLB, Muhammad Ali going to jail in his prime to protest the Vietnam war. These were moments when sports combated racism and injustice in the world, or just took a political stance. They helped combat these problems by using their likeness to gain attention. An example of this would be with Jackie Robinson and how he integrated baseball. he played in a time of the jim crow laws, and had a hard time when playing in the south. Many players on his team at first and most of the fans did not like the idea of a black man in baseball, but when they saw how great of a player he was they changed their minds. Through his abilities he was able to get people whom may not have liked black people or integration to be fans of it becuase they were wining and he was the reason. When people saw a black man dominating baseball playing amongst white players, they thought if he is equal on a baseball diamond why wouldn't he be equal every where else. Slowly but surely he changed the minds of a lot of people. The integration of sports has slowly gotten rid of a lot of the old traditions of race and brought along some new ones too. Mascots have ben changed, team moto's rewritten, whole traditions been thrown out to be accommodating to certain races. While some new traditions of race have been created, such as the terms used to describe certain races and the light they are viewed in. But is this a fair thing to ask of sports? When did sports take over the job of the government or was told its there job to shape public opinion? Sports should be and used to be a hobby, just something to distract us from our daily lives. In some cases distract us from issues such as the one at Ole Miss. Sports used to be a platform void of political movements or affiliations. It is supposed to be the place where you go to not thing about difficult things but to just watch sports and be distracted. Though that, sometimes, can be exactly what brings people together. A good example of this is the Ole Miss undefeated 1962 football team. There was a lot of racial unrest on the campus that year so much that there was rioting that almost got the school shut down, but the distraction from a miracle season by the football team united the school and distracted them from the race war they were fighting. So no I don't think that its fair to ask sports to combat issues in our lives but that is what sports has morphed into. Its no longer a distraction from the world its part of the world. Players use the platform to bring about attention and then ultimately change. It has been met with backlash of people saying sports is no place for politics or a place to fight certain issues. That players should just shut their mouths and play ball, but isn't that exactly what they are fighting against. Sports shouldn't have to combat issues like racism but it has become a platform for people to and I think thats for the better.
The documentary “Ghosts of Ole Miss” centered on the very famous 1962 undefeated football team which was the first time in school history that was achieved. At the time, there was only one black person enrolled at Ole Miss. It caused so much uproar because many wanted the school to shut down. Racism has changed a lot, especially in Mississippi and Ole Miss. Obiviously Ole Miss has become more diverse and has become a huge football school. When I think of Ole Miss, I think of college football and how it's in the heart of the South. It's a school my parents wouldn't want me to a part of their fraternity culture but it's certainly transformed as a culture and become a very beautiful school.
In baseball, Jackie Robinson transformed the game was played and integrated the sport together. He started a new era and allowed African Americans and Latinos to become part of the MLB culture that is today. Robinson was despised heavily by some and rooted against his sucesss. These two figures changed the way sports culture is now.
By acknowledging the past you can move forward knowing what you should not do, and how you can avoid hurting people. In the video “The South Will Rise Again” the girl was very hurt by the Dixie song and how people chanted it because it reminded her of the bad past her family had. By the Chancellor taking away the song it may have made many students angry because to them it was taking away their school spirit, but to the African American students it was a great relief and made them feel more comfortable at football games and around campus. The cost of failing to acknowledging the past is a negative one. If they don't acknowledge the past then they cannot move forward and become a better school. Students that are African American will not feel comfortable at their school because the rest of the students will not realize they are hurting or scaring them. I think that they cannot get rid of everything because they are known as the rebels because of the past and they should have some sort of reminder of the past but not by a song that makes people sad or nervous when they hear it. They can have a flag instead and that wouldn’t upset people as much because they can choose to ignore the flag. I think that by taking away the song they are moving in the right direction because of taking the song away. The chancellor is trying to consider the feelings of the African Americans and he did well by them by banning the Dixie song.
The ESPN 30 for 30 film The Ghosts Of Ole Miss really illustrates the cultural and racial divide our country has experienced over the past 50-60 years. By telling the story of James Merideth, who was the first African American student to attend Ole Miss, ESPN gives us a closer look into the extreme racial discrimination of the past, while also promoting change for the present and future. What I truly admire about this film was how effectively used sports, in particular college football, to demonstrate the historical change implemented with integration. By showing the tremendous backlash against racial integration that many southern states, especially Mississippi experienced, ESPN was able to illuminate how sports played a vital role in evoking the necessary legal and social change. Although it was sad to watch confederate flags be waved around at football games while people sung Dixie, and although it was shameful to see the students turn to physical violence to rebel against integration, it was inspiring to see how a college football team could unite together through adversity and distraction to achieve their goal of an undefeated season. It was through the football team that the racially insensitive traditions, as well as personal beliefs and views, were recognized and changed. I think this is a perfect example of why we should always acknowledge our past. Yes it might be painful and depressing at times, but it also allows us to see the incredible progress we have made. By failing to acknowledge our past, we leave ourselves more susceptible to repeating mistakes. And although we may look back on our past with regret, we can most certainly be proud by the change that has already been made, as well as the change that has yet to come. In a way our past gives us hope for our future, because as illustrated in the film, no matter how awful or regretful our past may be, eventually the necessary change will occur.
The ESPN documentary, "The Ghosts of Ole Miss," shines light on a how a single sports team can distract an entire university from the devastation going on all around them. In this 30 for 30 segment, Wright Thompson tells the story of the 1962 Ole Miss football who went on to win their only football championship while also integrating their school for first time in Ole Miss history. This documentary captured the integration process of James Meredith and all the hatred that came with it. The integration of James Meredith started with riots and dangerous protests that had to be contained by a constant fleet of national guards. After the initial riots, the white students at Ole Miss still continued to harass the African Americans and then once a few white students reached out to the African Americans, those students were also harassed by their peers. I think integration has a huge impact in sports in many ways. I think integration in the sport itself makes a huge impact as well as integration at a major sports school. Ole Miss, a school of racism and violence, later moved past these issues so much to the point where they completely changed the mascot of their sports teams.
The 30 for 30 documentary, "The Ghosts of Ole Miss" depicts the time period of 1962 when a sports team brought integration and changed the focus of many people through that time. The football team went on a winning streak for the first time when allowed the football team to not be segregated. Although the majority of people had mindsets to be against that and not believe in the equality, a college football team was able to make people see light in the situation and alter there beliefs to be more fair. The integrations caused several riots and breakouts between whites and blacks, towards the blacks and the hatred others had towards them. Riots even broke out towards white who seemed to have "the wrong opinion." Once people allowed them selves to not follow society and notice how it was right for everyone to be equal and Ole Miss, changed there views and was able to accept others and be successful.
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ReplyDeleteThe integration process as a whole was seen as an issue back in the 60s, especially in the south. White people were not willing to accept the fact that black people were equal to them. Whites saw the blacks as a problem, whereas the blacks saw the whites and their unwillingness to accept them as the problem. It was evident in the 30 for 30 about the Ghosts of Ole Miss that the whites acted as though they were superior. As shown in the documentary, they would spray them with powerful hoses, try to break their belongings, and block them from attaining something that they had. Now fast forward about 50-60 years. We live in a world where equality is fought for every day, by just about every race. While we cannot claim that the world, let alone our country is equal, we can look at how far we have come since that dark period of time. Proof of this can be found in the Common Application, used for applying to colleges. When filling out basic information about yourself, one of the things you need to identify is your race. There are about five or six different boxes (which enclose about every race) that you can choose from. This is pure proof that we have come a long way since the 60s. Even though I cannot speak for what the college application/process was like back then, it was clear that no other race besides white was accepted at the time.
ReplyDeleteSo now what? Even though people are working every day in order to make this country and world a more equal place, do we forget about the past? I personally do not think so. If we forgot about it, the chances of it being repeated are higher than if we took the time to acknowledge what happened. As said by Buzz Bissinger in his article Harlem Lax when addressing equality among sports and within young people, “you see tiny miracles every day big and small”. Equality is a topic that still is being addressed today and by reflecting on our actions, we may be able to solve this problem peacefully.
The documentary “Ghosts of Ole Miss” addresses the impact integration can have on sports through the famous 1962 football season when Ole Miss had its only undefeated season and what happened after it. 1962 is the year when Ole Miss was forced to integrate black students into their school. It was only one student, but the backlash the faculty, students, and alumni had for it were immense and it tore the school apart. People there would have rather “keep the school closed than let a black into their school.” Enraged, the school united around their football team. Their football games looked like snapshots of the past, as if the confederacy never lost the war. In the documentary, Confederate flags could be seen waved around in games and Dixie, the national anthem of the confederacy, was played regularly at games as a fight song.
ReplyDeleteThe integration of black students into their school slowly brought awareness to these traditions and changed them for the better. According to a NYTimes article, symbols and songs with negative connections to the racist south have been discouraged at football games and have been changed. Dixie is no longer played at games, and confederate flags appear less. Colonel Reb the mascot, a white plantation, was changed to black bear in order to remove the mascot’s racist connotations. The school has done a good job of trying to sever its connection to the confederacy at football games. Integration at Ole Miss has allowed for black athletes to compete on the previously only white Ole Miss football games and now blacks and whites to enjoy the college football games together.
This reflects the ever changing and advancing racial landscape of the US. As the US became much more accepting of all races, schools and sports became much more accepting too. This can be seen through comparison of Ole Miss in 1962 and Ole Miss now. Pep rallies and games were once dominated by whites and symbols of the past that represent the confederacy, but now are shared between whites and blacks. This reflects the modern era and how racism is no longer accepted in our society. We have become a much more inclusive society and exclusion of people based on any agenda is frowned upon.
Many professional or collegiate athletes and teams are held to a high standard and receive media attention from many different outlets, so they can reach a lot of people and make a big difference in terms of combatting racism in sports as well as society. The Ghosts of Ole Miss documentary showed how the school worked to become more accepting of integration and less racially offensive by getting rid of offensive symbols surrounding sporting events even though they have historic and traditional roots at the University. Banning the racially insensitive confederate flag from being held at Ole Miss football games and changing the school mascot from a plantation owner to a black bear, changed the school climate and reflected the growing sensitivity and inclusiveness of the times. Sports also combat racism in society by uniting Americans from all different backgrounds, races, religions, and genders to come together and almost forget what is taking place in the real world. Ole Miss used the 1962 football team to rally together and celebrate their school in a time of violence, negative publicity, and hatred. The rebels undefeated season was a necessity for the University as it was the only positive thing occurring at the school during the time.
ReplyDeleteThe Ghosts of Ole Miss documentary also showed how acknowledging the past can be painful. Some people might want to protect their children from hearing it just like how the 30 for 30 narrator’s parents let him continue to sleep while white supremacists burned the cross in their lawn. His parents hoped to protect him and end the “passing of fear and hate to the next generation.” Other people might not be prepared to accept what happened, however, accepting the past is the only way to move forward. Without accepting the past people deny that they did anything wrong, when they should really be learning from the mistakes of the past and working to ensure the past never repeats itself. In the end of the film the narrator says; “Mississippi was.. but Mississippi is” as a way to show that although terrible crimes of hate and discrimination took place on the Ole Miss campus, the college and students have evolved and are changing for the better. The mascot was even changed from a Southern plantation owner to a black bear.
Through Wright Thompson’s journey to uncover the past about Ole Miss, its football team, and its issues with race, the cost of acknowledging and failing to acknowledge our past is examined. In the film, Thompson acknowledges Mississippi’s as well as the university’s past, specifically the riots and reaction to James Meredith being enrolled in the school. Thompson says that this has hurt the reputation of Mississippi since then, because to a country that was beginning to accept integration in some parts, Mississippi was protesting. I agree that this has hurt their reputation, but I know that there were protests at other southern schools against integration, so I think that the region, not just Mississippi, has been hurt because of the protests.
ReplyDeleteBesides hurting the current reputation of Ole Miss, acknowledging our past can hurt people. The old mascot, a “white-goateed, cane-toting Southern plantation owner that many have criticized as racist and anachronistic” (NY Times), can easily offend African Americans today. The university has begun to move on by naming its mascot a bear, but by traveling back to the days of segregation, it can upset definitely upset people. Events such as the Confederate flag being waved offends many people, and even former Ole Miss player Buck Randall was angry about how he was portrayed in the film. Although, Thompson’s film argues that it is important to see what happened in the past in order to move forward in the future.
I believe that although people may be upset about the past, it is important to acknowledge it because the costs of ignoring it are greater. Thompson says that being ignorant is the greatest cost of failing to acknowledge our past, and I believe we shouldn’t be ignorant to the fact that there were protests against integration. We should learn about this time period to ensure similar events don’t occur in the future towards the same or different groups.
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ReplyDeleteThe 30 for 30 "Ghosts of Ole Miss" clearly depicted the segregation and discrimination African-Americans faced in the 1960s and beyond. In 1962 President Kennedy forced Ole Miss to accept their first African-American student, James Meredith. The students, and many faculty members, were enraged. They did not want their school to turn into a "black school" and yelled racial slurs whenever they saw Meredith. The school was filled with racism, Confederate flags were ever present at football games, and the marching band played Dixie frequently. However, as time passed, this racism and discrimination lessened.
ReplyDeleteFor Wright Thompson, the director, this was a difficult film to make. A native Mississippian, he had to research his home's past, and he found many faults in its behavior. He saw the effects of segregation, and even recognized a family member in a photo of a crowd screaming racial slurs at George Meredith. The school's unofficial fight song was "the anthem of the Confederacy" (NY Times), and known as the "National Anthem of Secession" (NY Times). Clearly, this was a school dominated by white Americans, who seemed to disregard the feelings and importance of African-Americans and disapproved of the school's entrance into integration. However, by acknowledging that this existed and that this was wrong is the only way Mississippians can move forward.
Over time, the school came to realize that waving Confederate flags and having a plantation and slave owner as the school's mascot was not ideal, or acceptable. The school changed its mascot to a bear, and these flags no longer dominate the football games. Racism was prominent in the 1960s, but as time passed, the US racial landscape changed. Football brought the white members of the school together in 1962, and the still holds the school together, but all members are included and appreciated this time.
The documentary “Ghosts of Ole Miss” was based on the infamous 1962 undefeated football team. The only time in school history that was achieved. It was also the first year Ole Miss was forced to integrate blacks into their school. Only one black person enrolled, but it was still a massive outrage at the time. People rioted and wanted the school shut down. Eventually the US military had to be called in to protect this one student and escort him to and around the school’s campus. This reflected the time period how different it was to now a days.
ReplyDeleteOle Miss has changed over time, and so has the racial landscape of the US. As more and more schools allowed blacks, athletic programs began to allow blacks to join and compete. This changed the racial makeup of teams dramatically. In 2013 57% of all college football players were black (NYT). Some other things changed with the times; the mascot Colonel Reb was changed to the rebel Black Bear. The Colonel was deemed racist and anachronistic because he was a white southern plantation owner. This is a great change because in current times we have eliminated segregation and racism is no longer accepted in our society.
As Wright Thompson unfolded the truths behind the Ole Miss integrating process in 1962 along with the impressive football team at the time. According to the documentary “Ghosts of Ole Miss”, Ole Miss was very slow in the idea of integration in the United States, “There are no black fans in the stadium.” Ole Miss refused to accept the equality of races along with the rest of the world. Ole Miss leaders refused to allow James Meredith, a black veteran, on to campus as a student. As one of the football players at the time put it in “Ghosts of Ole Miss”, “they would let it [the university] be closed before they let it be integrated.” The United States government and President Kennedy couldn’t stand and let this discrimination continue. Therefore, he sent the United States Army to defend James Meredith but there was resistance from the students: “The Civil War broke out at noon and the North is losing.” There were a lot of injuries on both sides with one of the players, Buck Randall, was one of the main fighters defending Ole Miss. The Ole Miss administration and students were closely tied to their affiliations with the Civil War and felt strongly that it is tradition to discriminate and it had to be upheld.
ReplyDeleteWhile combating racism in the South along with the rest of the United States, the world needed sports to help them with the process. I believe the sporting world is one of the most important aspects of society to spark change. Everyone loves watching sports and they admire the players with a kind of devotion that is unlike anything else. Once black people were allowed to be integrated into the sporting world, people began to respect black people properly. Not only is sports and other modes for change important, but acknowledging the past is vital. According to The New York Times, “The school has discouraged Confederate battle flags at football games, discontinued “Dixie” as the unofficial fight song and raised enrollment of black students to 14 percent, from 5.8 percent in 1995 (though Mississippi is nearly 40 percent black).” Ole Miss is working towards rightful equality and as it has taken some time and still has some disapproving people, the process is continuing. All we have to do is to acknowledge the past and keep it in mind so that society can do better. Failing to acknowledge our past causes people to ignore our mistakes and then, inevitably, make the mistakes all over again.
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ReplyDeleteThe 30 -for-30 “The Ghosts of Ole Miss” touches upon the impact of racial discrimination and the reactions of integration. In 1962, student James Meredith was the first African-American student to enroll at Ole Miss. The students, faculty, and parents were indignant. They didn’t feel it was fair that their school had to accept African American students. The community acted very poorly to this - yelling racial slurs at James Meredith and rioting. This was not a progressive school. There were signs of racism evident everywhere around it, including the marching band playing Dixie, and Confederate Flags being waved at football games. The mascot was “a white-goateed, cane-toting Southern plantation owner that many have criticized as racist and anachronistic,” (Brown, NYT).
ReplyDeleteThe riots and racism in response to James Meredith’s attendance at Ole Miss continues to haunt Mississippi today. In the film, Thompson speaks about how these events still hurt Mississippi’s reputation. The University of Mississippi is attempting to take steps to move past this and make up for what they did. The school recently just voted to change the mascot to a bear, and most likely a grey bear because it is the combination of black and white. However, the school should not forget about what happened. Although moving on is important and a big step in the once violently racist Mississippi, people must look to the past to not repeat history. Often when events of the past are forgotten about, they are repeated. James Meredith and his experience at Ole Miss should be a history lesson, teaching students what our country once was.
Ole Miss has evolved today from its past. The unprotested involvement of African Americans in a wide scope of sports exhibits that our country, once responding with riots to James Meredith enrolling in Ole Miss, has evolved. The four major sports leagues ban race based discrimination years ago. The U.S. is a better place for African Americans than it once was, but there are still many steps to be taken. There continue to be racial inequalities in sports, particularly the business side of sports.
Can the sporting world combat racism in society? Is this a fair expectation to place on the sporting world?
ReplyDeleteI think that the sporting world has a strong impact on society, and because of that it can help combat racism. In the documentary, Ole Miss was practically torn apart because of a single African American student who just wanted to be treated like a human being. On its own the fact that a documentary focused on the football team was made shows how much of an impact sports have on society. While the school itself was in shambles, the football team beat the odds and had an undefeated season. The success of the football team that year may have very well saved both the reputation of the school and Ole Miss itself.
While sports have a huge impact on our society, I do not think it’s a fair expectation to put on the players and others involved in the programs. If the players felt the pressure of saving their school’s reputation then they would not have had nearly as much success. Looking back on these events we can see how much impact they had, but if players are consciously aware of how much pressure may be on them, it blows up the importance of sports to a level that does not make sense. Why do some young adults playing with a ball have to save their University and be an important stepping stone for ending racism in their country? That seems like a tough task to complete.
Moving on to the changing of the mascot, I think it represents the entire event all over again, but just on a smaller scale. Changing the mascot represents having integration in the school. A small portion of students accept the change of the mascot, while many criticize the new one and are completely opposed to it. “We’re not giving up,” Mr. Ferguson said. “The Rebel Black Bear is just not the tradition we’re used to at Ole Miss.” The “tradition” of racism and segregation also had opposition when people wanted to change it.
What problems occurred during the integration process?
ReplyDeleteWhen the University of Mississippi decided to let James Meredith attend as the first african american student, it created a lot of problems. The other students didn't accept James Meredith because he was different. Not only would they call him bad names, they would also throw things at him. It got so bad that the university had to bring in extra security to protect him. At the time of the integration, people in the south were very racist and didn't want the integration.
What impact did integration have on sports?
Even though James Meredith didn't go to any of the football games, his presence on campus still had a big affect on the football team. They were trying to go undefeated and after all that happened with the integration they really wanted to win. After they won, things changed for the university. They were more accepting of James Meredith and eventually the university would change there mascot and other traditions to become less racist.
The 30 for 30 "The Ghosts of Ole Miss" juxtaposes the racial integration process at Ole Miss alongside the football team during the 1960s. Both aspects of the documentary are approached with a different view. The integration process depicts a shameful and unfortunate period in the universities history. It is often strange for people living the 21st century society to imagine a world where racial equality is viewed with such dismay. Especially as an soon to be college student, it is hard to put myself in the shoes of an African American suffering such hardships solely due to race. Meanwhile, the football team is the school's charm. The team manages to go undefeated and brings the school lots of pride. These two aspects have very different connotations, but relate to each other immensely.
ReplyDeleteThe two events both actually relied on each other to have favorable endings. While people may view the team's success to be in spite of the racial tensions, it could be seen as a result of the tensions. The players knew the destruction and outrage their school was facing, and they knew how vital each of their performances was. Similarly, the integration process relied on the football team to brighten the school during such a harsh time, and managed to unite the school as well. While such expectations for a football team are intense, they were ultimately beneficial for the school.
In terms of the mascot, it is astounding how much controversy there is. One would think that the changing of the mascot would be met with little to no opposition because of the school's reputation involving racism. But the school still struggled to make the change. This shows how difficult it can be for some individuals to escape their past. This seems to also clarifies why integration was met such controversy: people rarely enjoy changing traditions.
-Jesse H
The documentary The Ghosts of Ole Miss was a true testament to how radical the 1960s could really be. This film weaves its way through a number of different issues. Each in its own right is important to tackle. James Meredith was the start of it all. He was to be the first African American student enrolled at Ole Miss. Before that could happen though the town wanted to have its opinion on the whole matter stated very clearly. Ole Miss and many others from outside of the campus grounds did not want Meredith enrolled at their school. The racism surrounding Ole Miss was more than enormous. Riots ensued but to the racists vast discontent it did not change the fact that Meredith was going to be the first African American student enrolled at Ole Miss. The riots left a large scar on the campus both physical and emotional, as they did fight against the United States government of course. After Meredith was officially accepted to the University, he wanted to attend a football game and be accepted by the students of Ole Miss. This was something that could not be done though because there would need to be a massive amount of people ready to defend him from the government. It was so dangerous not just because of the mass amount of people at the game. It was dangerous also because most were still deep in the old ways of the confederacy flying the confederate flags proudly in the stands. The flags were banned which only seemed to increase the amount of confederate flags at the game. Ole Miss has come a long way since all of that expired.
ReplyDeleteThere was something to note about the Ole Miss football team during all of this. The head coach wanted to show that not everyone at Ole Miss was bad in a sense. He wanted the team to show it. The team captain was the one who tried to calm down the last battle the confederacy would ever have which took place at Ole Miss. The team went on to win the national championship and never rose to such heights again after. It was the team trying to say that this won’t change them as a force on the field and role models off the field. The thing is that they were never the same.
Sports can reflect the racial landscape of our country. It is done through its diversity and acceptance of people other than themselves. The effect integrated sports has had on the nation has been more than positive. Sports are becoming true feats of true athleticism, drive, and hard work. The sports world has grown because of integration.
In my opinion, it is unfair to place combatting racism in the hands of sports. I say this because sports are not the only place change is made in America. In fact the best way is by seeing how the world combats racism. The working world is where real change is made to me.
The cost of not knowing what we have been through in the past is enormous. Change is made only based upon using knowledge gained in the past. Ignorance doesn’t make a nation progress. Unfortunately this is a double edged sword. Acknowledging our past makes us better while at the same time it can hurt us to know what we have been through. There is so much racism and terrible moments in history that it can make some dwell on the bad. It can even make some even less receptive to our improved society. We have to keep moving forward though. We have to continue to show our great moral values.
While I missed the Thursday part of the 30 for 30 on Ole Miss, a brief viewing Friday clearly depicted the hatred and racism from the Ole Miss community around the 1960s.
ReplyDeleteThere are two sides to the story, the integration side where you can see so many people in the community are overwhelmingly angry and riot while supporting the KKK and others who are bystanders and are so disappointed by the racism but don't really react to those rioting. There were many people who recognize how awful the treatment was to blacks, but it is how they were raised and part of their culture they don't know any better. Things like Dixie which have racist connections are viewed by a lot as a symbol of their families and part of the Ole Miss football community. The football team was supposed to cultivate the community to rally around James Meredith who was extremely brave to enroll at Ole Miss, but there was that lasting image of all the hatred and rioting which left many unable to forget the past.
Meredith was the first step in the integration process for Ole Miss. After the football team finished their undefeated season the community seemingly began cultivating around accepting African Americans in their communities and starting leaving racist tardiness like their mascot and the confederate flag behind.
While we are a much less discriminating society today, places like Ole Miss cannot forget the past, no matter how much they would like to. Our country still has a ways to go as well and we can only try to continue moving forward in ensuring that there is equality for all people in our country no matter your skin type.
The 30 for 30 film "The Ghosts of Ole Miss" is a documentary about the integration of Ole Miss and how it affected the football team in the 1960s. James Meredith, an African American, enrolled at Ole Miss in 1962. With the segregated society in place in the South during this time, there was immediate outrage towards Meredith's enrollment. Riots occurred all over campus, and it got to the point where the National Guard was forced to intervene to control the situation. The Ole Miss football team was on track to have a historical season in the SEC. However, when Meredith enrolled, the football games began to be opportunities for riots. Spectators waved Confederate flags at games and sung the song "Dixie" in the stands. "Dixie" was the Confederacy's anthem and it was described in a New York Times article like this: "150 years of history have loaded the song with indelible political, racial, military and social connotations." As you can imagine, these riots were a huge distraction to the football team's winning run. The football team was one of the only groups on campus to make an effort to stop the riots and initiate the integration of Ole Miss. The team wanted to be seen as a lone bright spot of the school in order to maintain their reputation.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Mississippians to this day are unhappy about the 1962 events, the subtle progress that was made for integration had huge results. Although the riots occurred, allowing Meredith to enroll sparked a national change. Also, the football team's willingness to support integration had a major impact on integrating sports. The impact the football team had on integrating sports has shaped the sporting world. Today, spectators around the world see sports as a fully integrated environment where athletes of different race interact on a daily basis. The competitive spirit in sports is the only thing on athlete's minds, and the idea of racism has completely disintegrated in sports. Integration in sports has worked so well that I believe it has had an impact on the entire country. Athletes are seen as role models to kids everywhere. Naturally, kids are hesitant to interact with people they believe to be different than them. However, if they see these interactions occurring in sports, they will be more inclined to make these interactions in their lives. Overall, the Ole Miss football team sparked the nation to integrate sports, and the integration of sports has improved the sporting world and all everyday lives.
The Ghosts of Ole Miss documentary showed how the school dealt with racial riots and their aftermath in the 1960s. Banning the Confederate flag, no longer playing Dixie, and changing the mascot to a black bear showed the university’s willingness to adapt to the changing times and promote inclusiveness in Mississippi. Sports also fight racism by bringing together all different backgrounds and act as an escape to “take a break” from the real world. In a time where they desperately needed it, Ole Miss had the football team, who went undefeated against all odds and brought everyone together in support.
ReplyDeleteThe documentary brought up the struggle of integrating Ole Miss with the admission of James Meredith. In a time when other Southern states such as Arkansas and Virginia had already fought the US government over school integration and lost, Ole Miss refused to bend, especially with their governor proudly stating on TV that Ole Miss would never be integrated. The documentary showed the violence directed towards Meredith and the soldiers protecting him and the difficulty the university had in dealing with the aftermath.
The documentary also showed the pain of reflecting on the past, and how Buck Randall refused to be in the documentary because it would bring up bad memories. However, the only way to move forward is acceptance and moving forward together.
ReplyDeleteIntegrating sports in this country had a huge impact on scioty. When Jackie Robinson debuted in 1947 we were living in times of Jim Crow and the country was separated. Then baseball was the most popular sport in America but now with an African American in the sport it was breaking down barriers. If an african american can play baseball with white people then they should be able to go to the movies together and or go to the same restaurant. It made our city more progressive in the way we think. Sports captures the entire world's attention and if you see black and white playing together it can make a huge effect on people. Also with Jackie Robinson you had whites who wanted to kill him but now cheer for him because he plays for there team, so with sports being integrated in our country it makes our city more progressive and accepting. While we do move forward we cannot forget our past. The biggest reason to not forget our past is to make sure that our past does not repeat. The cost is making the same mistake again which is segregation or just being racist. Also to make sure that the people who were wronged get compensated and treated fairly. Finally you cannot see the progress that was made to move forward or the progress that needs to be made.
ReplyDeleteESPN’s 30 for 30 “Ghosts of Ole Miss” shows a direct parallel to the the racial discrimination and negative aura African Americans faced 50 years ago. This 30 for 30 shows the journey of the first African American to enter Ole Miss, a white dominated, southern school. His name was James Meredith. When he was admitted, the entire school population was filled with anger and hatred. Numerous things were done to display the school’s white supremacy, such as displaying confederate flags at football games and the repeated playing of “Dixie.” While this was just happening at this university, it symbolizes what was happening in the south and in different parts of America during these times. While integration was becoming more prevalent, alongside it came angry people, who took violence into their own hands. These series of events can be seen as the start of an ending to segregation, and the start of integration.
To me, racially integrated sports and teams represent one of the biggest breakthroughs this country has seen. For James Meredith, his presence successfully helped lessen the racial discrimination at Ole Miss. The university changed traditions as well as changed their mascot. While this is just one man, racial integration through sports has changed society. Take Jackie Robinson, one of the biggest symbols in American sports history. This man endured countless hate for wanting to play baseball, which was previously seen as a “white man’s sport.” In today’s day and age, team’s rosters across all sports are now integrated and possess minimal race issues, when compared to 50 years ago.
Lastly, Ole Miss has seen their African American population increase. Ole Miss is now 16.6% African American(CBS), obviously seeing a major increase from that one African American student, James Meredith. James Meredith is an unsung hero. His presence and enrollment in the school helped transform racial boundaries and segregation.
Integration in sports has had a major effect on this country. Racial equality has come a long way since the integration in sports but we still have a ways to go. Sports can be used to combat racism and other political injustices but yet even in todays world sports have reminisce of racisms in it. Everyone Can think of famous moments in sports that made a political stance combating racism or injustice. The 1968 olympics when Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists on the podium, Jackie Robinson joining the MLB, Muhammad Ali going to jail in his prime to protest the Vietnam war. These were moments when sports combated racism and injustice in the world, or just took a political stance. They helped combat these problems by using their likeness to gain attention. An example of this would be with Jackie Robinson and how he integrated baseball. he played in a time of the jim crow laws, and had a hard time when playing in the south. Many players on his team at first and most of the fans did not like the idea of a black man in baseball, but when they saw how great of a player he was they changed their minds. Through his abilities he was able to get people whom may not have liked black people or integration to be fans of it becuase they were wining and he was the reason. When people saw a black man dominating baseball playing amongst white players, they thought if he is equal on a baseball diamond why wouldn't he be equal every where else. Slowly but surely he changed the minds of a lot of people. The integration of sports has slowly gotten rid of a lot of the old traditions of race and brought along some new ones too. Mascots have ben changed, team moto's rewritten, whole traditions been thrown out to be accommodating to certain races. While some new traditions of race have been created, such as the terms used to describe certain races and the light they are viewed in. But is this a fair thing to ask of sports? When did sports take over the job of the government or was told its there job to shape public opinion? Sports should be and used to be a hobby, just something to distract us from our daily lives. In some cases distract us from issues such as the one at Ole Miss. Sports used to be a platform void of political movements or affiliations. It is supposed to be the place where you go to not thing about difficult things but to just watch sports and be distracted. Though that, sometimes, can be exactly what brings people together. A good example of this is the Ole Miss undefeated 1962 football team. There was a lot of racial unrest on the campus that year so much that there was rioting that almost got the school shut down, but the distraction from a miracle season by the football team united the school and distracted them from the race war they were fighting. So no I don't think that its fair to ask sports to combat issues in our lives but that is what sports has morphed into. Its no longer a distraction from the world its part of the world. Players use the platform to bring about attention and then ultimately change. It has been met with backlash of people saying sports is no place for politics or a place to fight certain issues. That players should just shut their mouths and play ball, but isn't that exactly what they are fighting against. Sports shouldn't have to combat issues like racism but it has become a platform for people to and I think thats for the better.
ReplyDeleteThe documentary “Ghosts of Ole Miss” centered on the very famous 1962 undefeated football team which was the first time in school history that was achieved. At the time, there was only one black person enrolled at Ole Miss. It caused so much uproar because many wanted the school to shut down. Racism has changed a lot, especially in Mississippi and Ole Miss. Obiviously Ole Miss has become more diverse and has become a huge football school. When I think of Ole Miss, I think of college football and how it's in the heart of the South. It's a school my parents wouldn't want me to a part of their fraternity culture but it's certainly transformed as a culture and become a very beautiful school.
ReplyDeleteIn baseball, Jackie Robinson transformed the game was played and integrated the sport together. He started a new era and allowed African Americans and Latinos to become part of the MLB culture that is today. Robinson was despised heavily by some and rooted against his sucesss. These two figures changed the way sports culture is now.
By acknowledging the past you can move forward knowing what you should not do, and how you can avoid hurting people. In the video “The South Will Rise Again” the girl was very hurt by the Dixie song and how people chanted it because it reminded her of the bad past her family had. By the Chancellor taking away the song it may have made many students angry because to them it was taking away their school spirit, but to the African American students it was a great relief and made them feel more comfortable at football games and around campus.
ReplyDeleteThe cost of failing to acknowledging the past is a negative one. If they don't acknowledge the past then they cannot move forward and become a better school. Students that are African American will not feel comfortable at their school because the rest of the students will not realize they are hurting or scaring them.
I think that they cannot get rid of everything because they are known as the rebels because of the past and they should have some sort of reminder of the past but not by a song that makes people sad or nervous when they hear it. They can have a flag instead and that wouldn’t upset people as much because they can choose to ignore the flag.
I think that by taking away the song they are moving in the right direction because of taking the song away. The chancellor is trying to consider the feelings of the African Americans and he did well by them by banning the Dixie song.
The ESPN 30 for 30 film The Ghosts Of Ole Miss really illustrates the cultural and racial divide our country has experienced over the past 50-60 years. By telling the story of James Merideth, who was the first African American student to attend Ole Miss, ESPN gives us a closer look into the extreme racial discrimination of the past, while also promoting change for the present and future. What I truly admire about this film was how effectively used sports, in particular college football, to demonstrate the historical change implemented with integration. By showing the tremendous backlash against racial integration that many southern states, especially Mississippi experienced, ESPN was able to illuminate how sports played a vital role in evoking the necessary legal and social change. Although it was sad to watch confederate flags be waved around at football games while people sung Dixie, and although it was shameful to see the students turn to physical violence to rebel against integration, it was inspiring to see how a college football team could unite together through adversity and distraction to achieve their goal of an undefeated season. It was through the football team that the racially insensitive traditions, as well as personal beliefs and views, were recognized and changed. I think this is a perfect example of why we should always acknowledge our past. Yes it might be painful and depressing at times, but it also allows us to see the incredible progress we have made. By failing to acknowledge our past, we leave ourselves more susceptible to repeating mistakes. And although we may look back on our past with regret, we can most certainly be proud by the change that has already been made, as well as the change that has yet to come. In a way our past gives us hope for our future, because as illustrated in the film, no matter how awful or regretful our past may be, eventually the necessary change will occur.
ReplyDeleteThe ESPN documentary, "The Ghosts of Ole Miss," shines light on a how a single sports team can distract an entire university from the devastation going on all around them. In this 30 for 30 segment, Wright Thompson tells the story of the 1962 Ole Miss football who went on to win their only football championship while also integrating their school for first time in Ole Miss history. This documentary captured the integration process of James Meredith and all the hatred that came with it. The integration of James Meredith started with riots and dangerous protests that had to be contained by a constant fleet of national guards. After the initial riots, the white students at Ole Miss still continued to harass the African Americans and then once a few white students reached out to the African Americans, those students were also harassed by their peers. I think integration has a huge impact in sports in many ways. I think integration in the sport itself makes a huge impact as well as integration at a major sports school. Ole Miss, a school of racism and violence, later moved past these issues so much to the point where they completely changed the mascot of their sports teams.
ReplyDeleteThe 30 for 30 documentary, "The Ghosts of Ole Miss" depicts the time period of 1962 when a sports team brought integration and changed the focus of many people through that time. The football team went on a winning streak for the first time when allowed the football team to not be segregated. Although the majority of people had mindsets to be against that and not believe in the equality, a college football team was able to make people see light in the situation and alter there beliefs to be more fair. The integrations caused several riots and breakouts between whites and blacks, towards the blacks and the hatred others had towards them. Riots even broke out towards white who seemed to have "the wrong opinion." Once people allowed them selves to not follow society and notice how it was right for everyone to be equal and Ole Miss, changed there views and was able to accept others and be successful.
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