The people and students have spoken. The University of Missouri’s president, Timothy M. Wolfe, has resigned after months of multiple protests calling for his exit amidst racial turmoil at the school.
The final straw was likely the Black players on the school’s football team going on strike until Wolfe resigned. Done deal.
Reports the New York Times:
Mr. Wolfe announced his resignation as the university’s governing board met in Columbia, the centerpiece of the four-campus system.
Mr. Wolfe took to the podium before a meeting of the Board of Curators and made the announcement before a room full of reporters and other spectators. The announcement seemed to jar the people in the room.
He had grown increasingly isolated, with student and faculty groups calling for his departure, and football players saying they would not play if he remained in office. Over the weekend, dozens of football players issued a blunt ultimatum: Resign or they won’t play.
Fueling the anger were a series of on-campus incidents: racial slurs hurled at black students and feces smeared into the shape of a swastika on a wall in a residence hall. What many students viewed as a sluggish response from the administration gave rise to calls for the removal of Mr. Wolfe.
“Use my resignation to heal and start talking again,” Mr. Wolfe said during an address in Columbia, where he quoted from the Bible and appeared emotional.
It’s now up to the Board or Curators to find Wolfe’s replacement. Suggestion, hire someone who doesn’t half-step on race relations.
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Photo: AP
