FAIRBANKS—The University of Alaska Fairbanks started the week by taking down the Mississippi state flag because of its inclusion of the Confederate battle flag emblem, but the flag went back up on Friday.
UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers explained in a post to his Facebook page that he "reluctantly" decided to replace the flag based on comments he's received since Monday.
"The tone and content of some of the responses I received this week have convinced me that it is in the best interest of UAF to return the Mississippi flag to the Circle of Flags, but I do so reluctantly," he wrote.
When asked about the content of the responses Rogers received, UAF spokeswoman Marmian Grimes pointed to social media, where Rogers' decision has been generally opposed.
"As evidenced by the discussions on social media, there are certainly strong opinions on this issue," she said via email. "He reviewed those, along with other verbal and written responses he received, and decided it was best for UAF to return the flag to the display."
The flag had been displayed along with every other state flag at the Cornerstone Plaza on UAF's lower campus.
The move came among intensifying national debate on the Confederate battle flag after it appeared in pictures of a gunman in a racially motivated massacre at a historically black church in South Carolina. Critics have said it still serves as a powerful symbol of slavery and racism.
Juneau earlier this month removed the Mississippi flag from a display along a prominent road.
On Friday, Rogers explained his original decision, saying he felt "it was inappropriate for a campus that values diversity to display a flag that many see as a symbol of racism."
Rogers said he hopes discussion about the flag continues in hopes that efforts in Mississippi to change the flag will be successful.
"I encourage members of the campus community to continue a reasoned dialogue on symbols and other manifestations of racism in our community and throughout the United States," he wrote. "I hope that similar discussions nationwide will help the Mississippi speaker be successful in his efforts to change their state flag."
Contact staff writer Matt Buxton at 459-7544. Follow him on Twitter: @FDNMpolitics.
