Thread by @fourteenhearts

Maybe folks wonder why I care so much. I could not, but a good portion of friends I've known for years are at @OleMissRebels. So read this thread and follow me on this..

Some former friends I don't associate with anymore because, quite frankly, they bullied, cowered behind ranks, or intentionally chose not to have necessary conversations before taking sides (another post for another day).

I didn't foresee the risk in speaking to a reporter this past Summer, or what the 3-part series would become.
Any regrets? No.
Any backlash? Of course.
But, hey, if you're going down in a blaze of glory you might as well do it while upending racist structures in higher ed.

Accusations about my credibility from former colleagues were utter bullshit (to be perfectly clear) and criticisms of the journalists are a scapegoat from the issues they uncover. If you want to have the conversation, just be sure you KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN DAMN THING.

All that to say, this article came out today and it is pretty comprehensive (IMHO) about the University's probe into the Office of the Ombuds and their attempts to reveal private, confidential information. I'm not there, but when I was I was very much afraid to speak publicly.

We knew student and donor money carried weight, and I was reminded of that more often than I desired. I wanted to go back, though. I thought about the difference I could make being the newfound radical I am in a space that needs assertive, Black voices.

This past Summer proved solid thing about my thoughts to possibly return...OH HELL NAW.

God reminded me I left for a reason and made it VERY CLEAR that this was the environment that caused me so much anguish, stress, and paranoia. The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss - @OleMissRebels) will gaslight THE ENTIRE FUCK out of you.

I'm keeping the main thing the main thing. I dnt give a rat's ass what yall think of reporting style (since that's what's used to attempt to discredit the substance of the article), esp when some of yall can't get past biases and internalized racism to recognize very valid points

The University is trying to slyly remove the current Ombudsman because he is doing his fucking job, yall. That's it - that's all he did. Using his office to reveal a whistleblower is egregious.

Tactics of the whistleblower are also under scrutiny (fair, but I remember what being there was like and there are discussions folks should have about what's allowed to slide and what isn't). Let me tell yall...we know. Yall know. Don't open that door because freedom will ring..

An ombuds is being bullied into revealing confiedntial information. A professor was fired for calling the college out. Another professor (my love for @KieseLaymon) said TRY IT while proclaiming the University a "Sorry-Ass Neo-Confederate Institution".

And my fave radical on campus (@Insurgent_Prof), who made safe spaces possible when shit was real, can't even get support from his own damn institution for calling out racism on the daily.

If you haven't guessed the common damn thread here @OleMissRebels - it's racism, simple. You're covering it. You're protecting whiteness. You're entertaining bullshit donors and DAMMIT YOU ARE BETTER THAN THIS SHIT.

So maybe I shouldn't care...but, hell, I do. I care deeply about that space. It caused unbearably difficult trauma and honestly some PTSD...so maybe these are the remnants of being gaslit for a couple years in a toxic relationship with your employer.

In either case, we gon' care yall. We are going to demand institutions be transparent and that they publicly uphold antiracist standards. We are going to call this shit out for every...single...student/faculty/staff who is and will be tied to these institutions.

We aren't going to simply say that "It's Ole Miss" because there should be NO SAFE SPACE for white supremacy in this country.

I mean, yall BIG MAD at the WRONG DAMN THING.

We should be vigorously concerned about institutions that silence faculty, upend the protections of the ombuds, and stand for blatantly racist behavior. It's disgusting. Now, here's the latest that I made yall wait for. Read up - fight on.

mississippifreepress.org/7531/like-he-w…

Proved *1* solid thing. Typing too fast