A seemingly ageless issue amongblack students who attend Louisiana State University is the public display bysome students of the purple and gold version of the Confederate flag atfootball games and around campus.
“I made a personal effort abouta month ago to help the issue resurface,” said Brandon Smith, LSU StudentGovernment Association speaker of the senate. “The fundamental problem with theflag was with alleged Southern heritage and combining it with school pride. Totake our colors, purple and gold, and to unify it with the Confederate flag, Ifelt it was quite appropriate that we bring this issue up.”
Wayne Haydin, the 2003-2004Southern University Student Government Association president who is recognizedas the first white SGA president at a historically black college feels theflags are not truly being used to represent Southern heritage.
“If they were truly concernedabout Southern heritage then they would use the real Confederate flag,” hesaid. “That’s not the real flag — that’s the Confederate battle flag that hategroups use, so that’s the one they adopted as the flag.”
Erica Washington, vice presidentof the LSU Black Student Union definitely sees the flag as an issue.
“We have had a lot of discussionabout it in our Black Student Union meetings,” she said. “The LSU football teamis 80 percent black. The Black Student Union is working with SGA to get itbanned from being on campus. Having the Confederate flag and LSU colorssymbolizes that LSU is in approval of that.”
Jason Droddy, executiveassistant to the chancellor, in the April 1 edition of The Reveille, LSU campusnewspaper said, “While the University cannot enforce a ban on the flags becausea ban would violate the First Amendment, University officials will ensure thatnone of the University’s logos or trademarks are used in connection with theflag.”
LSU student Ijeoma Udenkwo saidthe flag was direct disrespect on the feelings of blacks.
“Being that the flags are purpleand gold (LSU colors), it’s like they don’t care about the black students,” shesaid. “I understand this is their history. It’s so much trouble and turmoilbehind the history. Why would you want to continue that?”
In a statement posted in an”Issues and Answers” section of the LSU website, Chancellor Sean O’Keefe posteda statement saying, “We need to send a strong message to those within our familyand those visiting our campus that LSU does not condone or support the displayof this symbol.”
Smith has hopes for the futureof this issue.
“We’ve already moved in atremendous step by having the chancellor make a statement,” he said. “We’venever saw that before. We hope this is a step in the right direction but therest remains to be seen.”
