Reparations Subcommittee

Mission:

The Reparations subcommittee will build upon the Black Power at Ole Miss event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the protest and mass arrests of Black students at the University of Mississippi on February 25, 1970. Through reckoning with the harm and trauma caused by the actions of the university and law enforcement, we will seek reparative solutions grounded in truth-telling, reconciliation, and justice. Our goal is to identify various forms of reparations that will directly and indirectly benefit the Ole Miss 8, other impacted students, and their respective families. Reparative solutions for UM Black alumni and current Black students will also be pursued.

Our projects include: 

• Co-coordinating listening sessions and virtual reunion to share task force updates and gather feedback
• Engaging with former students individually and in group settings to hear more about their perspectives 
• Researching key aspects and models of reparations, specifically in higher education
• Compiling list of reparative solutions for Ole Miss 8 and other students impacted by 1970 arrests 

Members:

Shawnboda Mead (chair)

Jeff Jackson

Joshua Mannery

Linnie Liggins Willis

Brittany Brown

Afton Thomas