Leaders of universities ask for the change in the flag (Text). All three men are Mississippians, Paul hailing from Bay St. Louis and Reardon and Abraham hailing from Clarksdale. All three men said Tuesday afternoon that the immediate response from former students was extremely positive. Abraham expressed his appreciation for Abraham’s letter. Paul stated, “Overwhelmingly positive reaction from my former students.” Reardon stated, “It’s quite obvious from the former student I have heard from that it is clear they understand how badly Our state needs to have a new emblem which we all can rally behind.” Paul said that he is often introduced by alumni to other schools as “the Jimmy Abraham of Southern Miss” or “Sparky Reardon.” Both Abraham and Reardon say they have had similar introductions. Abraham, Paul, and Reardon all claim that they have worked together in the past and shared common goals and challenges. Reardon stated, “In the course of we’ve become close friendships.” “I know Joe Paul is loved at Southern Miss, and the former State students that I know would take a bullet to Jimmy Abraham. “I’m proud to share the mission with them,” the current state flag, adopted 1894, includes the Confederate battle emblem. Since 2016, the flag has not been flown by any of the eight state-supported colleges. The Mississippi House rejected a 2017 attempt to penalize universities for not flying state flags. With the blessing of Speaker Philip Gunn, several Mississippi legislators are pushing to change the state flags during the current session. The legislative talks are taking place as thousands of black Mississippians, along with their multi-racial supporters, protested recent days demanding that leaders address racial inequalities in government. Paul said, “We have a flag so offensive that our universities won’t even fly it.” Our student leaders have done amazing things over the years to bring about positive changes on our campuses. They were leaders on campus and now they are leaders in the state. We know their potential. Our work has the advantage of allowing us to see their actions. Contact state officials, including the governor, lieutenant Governor, speaker of the House, and your state legislators. Tell them how you feel about changing the flag. To build momentum, you must work within your networks of influence. Display one of the other proposed state flags. Sign existing petitions and start new ones to send to our leaders. Use social media to demand change. Businesses that fly an alternative flag should be supported. We know that you can make a difference one voice at a moment. Each of us was transformed by your efforts. Your actions changed the campus for the better. Change the flag to show Mississippi that it is a place that values all her citizens.