JACKSON, Miss. – A Confederate soldier statue that has stood for generations in a prominent spot on the University of Mississippi's Oxford campus will soon be accompanied by a plaque giving it historical context.
A university news release says Friday that work has started on the plaque and should be finished by the end of the month.
The addition is part of an effort announced in 2014 to promote racial diversity and provide context for Old South symbols.
The plaque says the Confederate statue was dedicated by local citizens in 1906 and was a rallying point where a mob gathered in 1962 to oppose the admission of the first black student at Ole Miss.
Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter says the plaque confirms the university creed of "respect for the dignity of each person."
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