Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #umemails
Most recents (15)
NEWS: Remember Will Norton, the ex-University of Mississippi journalism school dean?
He resigned as the unearthed #UMEmails revealed exchanges with a donor who'd sent him photos of Black women students, calling them "African hookers."
Well, he's back. 1/mississippifreepress.org/16257/ex-dean-…
He resigned as the unearthed #UMEmails revealed exchanges with a donor who'd sent him photos of Black women students, calling them "African hookers."
Well, he's back. 1/mississippifreepress.org/16257/ex-dean-…
After the #UMEmails revealed racist, sexist & homophobic emails, Will Norton appeared to depart the university in May.
But now he's returned to the campus, serving as a senior fellow at the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics. 2/mississippifreepress.org/16257/ex-dean-…
But now he's returned to the campus, serving as a senior fellow at the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics. 2/mississippifreepress.org/16257/ex-dean-…
Donor: "Ole Miss (has) problems when Black hookers are working on Jackson Ave...I know what happens when a place is taken over by the wrong elements."
Then-Dean Will Norton: "I've been disappointed for a long time with the way this culture is going." 3/
mississippifreepress.org/16257/ex-dean-…
Then-Dean Will Norton: "I've been disappointed for a long time with the way this culture is going." 3/
mississippifreepress.org/16257/ex-dean-…
Today marks one year since we published the first part in my #UMEmails investigation showing how University of Mississippi officials coddled racist donors, at times to students' detriment.
The story and others stories from those emails continues to unfold.mississippifreepress.org/4876/the-fabri…
The story and others stories from those emails continues to unfold.mississippifreepress.org/4876/the-fabri…
Those emails showed how, even as journalism school officials pursued alum Shepard Smith to help with fundraising by making appearances on campus, the journalism school dean disparaged his sexuality behind the scenes. #UMEmails
mississippifreepress.org/5004/ums-cultu…
mississippifreepress.org/5004/ums-cultu…
UM officials initially spoke of reforms in the wake of the series, but campus police and UM's Title VII/Title IX office launched investigations to unmask the #UMEmails whistleblowers after they began questioning administrators' pay & promotion practices. mississippifreepress.org/7134/um-probes…
NEW: When the University of Mississippi fired historian Garrett Felber in 2020, he said it was about his anti-racist views—a claim UM rejected.
But emails show officials grew concerned after he spoke publicly against UM's ties to a private prison company.
mississippifreepress.org/14250/emails-s…
But emails show officials grew concerned after he spoke publicly against UM's ties to a private prison company.
mississippifreepress.org/14250/emails-s…
In December 2019, Dr. Felber spoke to an audience of prison abolitionists about UM's history of slavery and its historic ties to the prison system.
Then, he turned his attention to an instructor on campus: nationally renowned journalist Charles Overby. mississippifreepress.org/14250/emails-s…
Then, he turned his attention to an instructor on campus: nationally renowned journalist Charles Overby. mississippifreepress.org/14250/emails-s…
Charles Overby was chair of the Freedom Forum, which was over the Newseum in Washington, D.C., from 1989 to 2011.
In 2001, the Freedom Forum donated $5 million to establish a new center on campus: The Overby Center For Southern Journalism and Politics. mississippifreepress.org/14250/emails-s…
In 2001, the Freedom Forum donated $5 million to establish a new center on campus: The Overby Center For Southern Journalism and Politics. mississippifreepress.org/14250/emails-s…
"Goddamn, this is literally like being in the Congo jungle," a prominent Ole Miss donor said while photographing Black college students who were socializing after the Rebels suffered a devastating loss.
Now's a good time to read the #UMEmails: mississippifreepress.org/4876/the-fabri…
Now's a good time to read the #UMEmails: mississippifreepress.org/4876/the-fabri…
The #UMemails show that officials struggling to strike a balance between empathizing with aggrieved wealthy white donors who cling to the Ole Miss of yore & responding to a UM faculty & a student body that feels UM is not moving fast enough into the future.mississippifreepress.org/4950/the-ole-m…
“There is a sickness that permeates Ole Miss and it is enabled by a culture of secrecy. ... We all know about the hidden institutional racism at Ole Miss.” #UMEmails mississippifreepress.org/5004/ums-cultu…
BREAKING: Will Norton, the former Ole Miss School of Journalism and New Media dean whose emails with a wealthy donor were a central part of my @MSFreePress 2020 #UMEmails exposé, is no longer an employee at UM. mississippifreepress.org/12534/will-nor…
I first reported last August on a trove of emails that revealed that Dean Norton had continued seeking donations from a wealthy white donor who shared photos of Black women students he'd taken, calling them "African hookers" in emails to Norton.
mississippifreepress.org/12534/will-nor…
mississippifreepress.org/12534/will-nor…
The donor, Blake Tartt, wrote to Norton in September 2018: “You know Oxford and Ole Miss have real problems when black hookers are working on Jackson avenue. ... I happen to know what happens when a place is overtaken by the wrong elements.”
mississippifreepress.org/12534/will-nor…
mississippifreepress.org/12534/will-nor…
1. Jim Prince of the Neshoba Democrat in my hometown repped media at the big state dominionist prayer service this week (one of 7 centers of power); see below. @AshtonPittman and I've written about him a few times already.
2. In 2015, Jim Prince came for me because I called out a sexist comment by House speaker. He brought all the overwrought, dumb insults (basically: I'm a communist. I'm decidedly not). He was then immediate past president of @MPAnewspapers. I fired back: jacksonfreepress.com/news/2015/nov/…
3. In 2020, Jim Prince went after a minor boy who protested our hometown's Confederate statue and then ran an editorial claiming that Marxists were trying to take it down (he's kinda a one-trick pony with the red-baiting): jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/jul/…
NEW: University of Mississippi Police are pursuing a criminal investigation into Ole Miss Information, the anonymous whistleblowers who tipped @MSFreePress off about racist emails between UM officials and prospective wealthy donors. #UMEmails mississippifreepress.org/9134/um-pursui…
The emails revealed how, even as University of Mississippi officials condemned racism publicly, they privately catered to and coddled donors like the one who referred to Black students as "African hookers" or using ape emojis to describe Black women. mississippifreepress.org/9134/um-pursui…
Now, the UM Emails whistleblowers, who obtained the emails following an official and legal public records request, are facing a criminal investigation as officials and some faculty members accuse them of "creating a hostile work environment."mississippifreepress.org/9134/um-pursui…
NEW: From emails revealing how Ole Miss officials coddled a donor who called Black students "African hookers," to the hunt for the #UMemails whistleblowers & @garrett_felber's firing, @MSFreePress now has an interactive timeline. See the emails yourself:
mississippifreepress.org/8357/um-emails…
mississippifreepress.org/8357/um-emails…
With the #UMemails timeline, you can not only see the emails we examined for our initial report, but previously unreported ones.
After Ed Meek's offensive post, @garrett_felber & students pushed to rename the Meek School of Journalism for Ida B. Wells. 👇🏻mississippifreepress.org/8357/um-emails…
After Ed Meek's offensive post, @garrett_felber & students pushed to rename the Meek School of Journalism for Ida B. Wells. 👇🏻mississippifreepress.org/8357/um-emails…
In a 2019 email, a UM fundraising official said Provost Noel Wilkin opposed renaming the Meek School for a recently deceased donor and that "we need to reserve the name for someone who will contribute multiple millions."
(Ida B. Wells would not qualify). mississippifreepress.org/8357/um-emails…
(Ida B. Wells would not qualify). mississippifreepress.org/8357/um-emails…
NEW: After U of Mississippi Ombudsman Paul Caffera refused to participate in an effort to unmask the #UMemails whistleblowers who exposed racist emails between UM leaders & donors, Chancellor Boyce placed him on leave & is looking for a replacement. 1/ mississippifreepress.org/7531/like-he-w…
UM "asked Mr. Caffera to divulge confidential information, and threatened (him) with adverse employment action for failure to do so" & "advised Mr. Caffera that it may refer matters to the University Police Department for criminal prosecution.” 2/ mississippifreepress.org/7531/like-he-w…
Yesterday, @middleton380 broke the story that the university has terminated Garrett Felber, a tenure-track assistant professor of history who has spoken out against campus ties to private prisons and butted heads with leaders on his work on prisons. 3/ mississippifreepress.org/7518/um-fires-…
Ok @JoeNBC, let's talk college free speech & #CancelCulture, a thread:
1. @OleMiss fired Garrett Felber, a celebrated anti-racism history scholar who spoke up on UM leaders' relationships with 'powerful, racist donors' & ties to mass incarceration.
Read: mississippifreepress.org/7518/um-fires-…
1. @OleMiss fired Garrett Felber, a celebrated anti-racism history scholar who spoke up on UM leaders' relationships with 'powerful, racist donors' & ties to mass incarceration.
Read: mississippifreepress.org/7518/um-fires-…
Campus free speech & cancel culture (cont.):
2. @OleMiss is trying to compel its ombudsman to turn over confidential communications in order to unmask the #UMemails whistleblowers who exposed a web of racism among UM officials and donors.
mississippifreepress.org/7379/our-last-…
2. @OleMiss is trying to compel its ombudsman to turn over confidential communications in order to unmask the #UMemails whistleblowers who exposed a web of racism among UM officials and donors.
mississippifreepress.org/7379/our-last-…
Campus free speech & cancel culture (cont.):
3. Faculty fear it's an effort to fire the ombudsman.
"People would be terrified of speaking up because people who speak up get hammered at this university. There is no place to go except the Ombuds office." mississippifreepress.org/7379/our-last-…
3. Faculty fear it's an effort to fire the ombudsman.
"People would be terrified of speaking up because people who speak up get hammered at this university. There is no place to go except the Ombuds office." mississippifreepress.org/7379/our-last-…
BREAKING: The University of Mississippi fired Garrett Felber, a celebrated tenure-track history professor who spoke up on UM leaders' relationships with "powerful, racist donors" & whose work highlights anti-racism & mass incarceration. By @middleton380: mississippifreepress.org/7518/um-fires-…
This comes amid fears that UM is laying the groundwork to fire Ombudsman Paul Caffera.
UM's Title IX agency is trying to force him to turn over information to unmask the #UMEmails whistleblowers who exposed a web of racism and sexism on campus.
mississippifreepress.org/7379/our-last-…
UM's Title IX agency is trying to force him to turn over information to unmask the #UMEmails whistleblowers who exposed a web of racism and sexism on campus.
mississippifreepress.org/7379/our-last-…
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NEW: @OleMiss is trying to compel its ombudsman to turn over confidential communications in order to unmask the #UMemails whistleblowers who exposed a web of racism among UM officials and donors.
The effort has "terrified" faculty members. 1/
mississippifreepress.org/7379/our-last-…
The effort has "terrified" faculty members. 1/
mississippifreepress.org/7379/our-last-…
“We’re all worried the university is going to get a hold of his communications & that our names will be revealed,” said one faculty member (not a whistleblower) who shared concerns with the ombudsman, fearing retaliation if they raised them elsewhere. 2/ mississippifreepress.org/7379/our-last-…
Two faculty members said they worry the university could be laying groundwork to eliminate the Ombudsman Office altogether.
“If they took that Ombuds office away, there would be nowhere for faculty to go. ... That’s the only place we have on campus." 3/ mississippifreepress.org/7379/our-last-…
“If they took that Ombuds office away, there would be nowhere for faculty to go. ... That’s the only place we have on campus." 3/ mississippifreepress.org/7379/our-last-…
Don't reply to a story of mine about Mississippi racism with, "Well, it IS Mississippi, so..."
I don't report these stories so smug Californians/Michiganders et al., can hop on a high horse & look down on the Blackest state. I do it to make MS better.
Try that in your state.
I don't report these stories so smug Californians/Michiganders et al., can hop on a high horse & look down on the Blackest state. I do it to make MS better.
Try that in your state.
Cause I promise y'all's states all have racism too—all 49 of them. Mississippi is just a mirror for the rest of America, but lots of folks like to pretend it's a window to some separate land. It isn't.
Honestly, the soft bigotry of low expectations is just plain old bigotry. And it's damaging.
And when directed at Mississippi? It's racist. Bc the people hurt by it are the almost 4 in 10 Mississippians who are Black that get written out of the story in favor of white racists.
And when directed at Mississippi? It's racist. Bc the people hurt by it are the almost 4 in 10 Mississippians who are Black that get written out of the story in favor of white racists.
Indeed. While you’re at it, explore @msfreepress’ #highered coverage all year. We do real journalism about what’s happening at Mississippi’s colleges and universities, especially the public ones because they shouldn’t function behind closed doors. Archive: mississippifreepress.org/tag/highered/
Mississippi colleges, like those across country, are crucibles of the conflict between old ways and new ones. It’s heartening to watch so many students and faculty work to expose problems, even as others are either happy with status quo or silenced by the culture of fear.
This stepping-out-for-change versus culture-of-fear is at heart of what @msfreepress’ #UMemails series about, as well as lack of transparency and attempts to silence those who step out in various ways (and us, btw). It’s some of most important work I’ve edited. I’m proud of it.
NEW: The University of Mississippi is investigating the group of whistleblowers who helped us break the story about racist emails between former journalism dean Will Norton and a wealthy donor who referred to Black women students as "Black hookers." 1/
mississippifreepress.org/7134/um-probes…
mississippifreepress.org/7134/um-probes…
Some faculty and officials at the school are now accusing the whistleblowers, known collectively as Ole Miss Information, of creating “a hostile work environment.” #UMEmails 2/
mississippifreepress.org/7134/um-probes…
mississippifreepress.org/7134/um-probes…
As UM investigates the #UMemails whistleblowers, ex-journalism dean Will Norton, who resigned in May when a public records request brought the racist emails to light, continues to earn almost $20,000 a month—even though is not teaching classes. 3/ mississippifreepress.org/7134/um-probes…
