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Members of the Missouri football team go on strike to support Concerned Student 1950

This is going to get interesting. (It already has.)

By Bill Connelly
Jamie Squire/Getty Images

It's been a tense fall from a racial perspective at the University of Missouri, beginning with racial slurs directed at MSA president Payton Head and continuing with a Homecoming protest.

Though members of various student groups have been meeting with university president Tim Wolfe and chancellor R. Bowen Loftin (himself under fire from faculty for a host of different reasons), the Concerned Student 1950 group has been upping the ante regarding protests and stakes. So have various graduate student groups. On Monday morning, student Jonathan Butler announced that he would go on hunger strike until Wolfe resigned or was removed from office.

This evening, Concerned Student 1950 grew a lot more visible and, in theory, powerful.

The statement in the above tweet:

The athletes of color on the University of Missouri football team truly believe "Injustice Anywhere is a threat to Justice Everywhere"

We will no longer participate in any football related activities until President Tim Wolfe resigns or is removed due to his negligence toward marginalized students' experiences. WE ARE UNITED!!!!!

On Friday, Wolfe admitted that his response (or lack thereof) to date, and to the Homecoming protest in particular, had been miscalculated.

Wolfe continued: "I regret my reaction at the MU homecoming parade when the ConcernedStudent1950 group approached my car. I am sorry, and my apology is long overdue. My behavior seemed like I did not care. That was not my intention. I was caught off guard in that moment."

Racial tension has long been an issue in the state of Missouri, and it appears it's about to become an even more public issue. That can be a good thing. At least ... I hope this becomes a good thing whether Wolfe resigns or not. And since similar tension exists throughout the country, I hope that Mizzou becomes a force for positivity. We'll figure out the odds of that in the coming days.

And whether or not you agree with the protest, I feel the need to remind you of this: The Internet is forever. It will remember what you say publicly in reaction to this. Please make sure you think before you type. (And if you have a "yuk yuk, they quit playing several games ago" joke to make, keep it to yourself. This is more serious than game outcomes.) Don't be one of these people:

UPDATE: The athletic department has issued a statement:

Text:

The department of athletics is aware of declarations made tonight by many of our student-athletes. We all must come together with leaders from across our campus to tackle these challenging issues and we support our student-athletes right to do so.

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