Jesus Broke Down the Wall: A Study on the Potential Impact of Student Religious Organizations on Racial Reconciliation Efforts at the University of Mississippi

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential impact of student religious organizations at the University of Mississippi on racial reconciliation efforts on campus. Since 2009, the university has dealt with numerous racialized events that have resulted in a culture of resentment. Additionally, student religious organizations at the university attract a large number of students, and in many ways, serve as a significant influence on campus culture; however, this study demonstrates that they rarely take action to combat these incidents, which are often perceived as racially insensitive, or the culture that cultivates them. Findings of the study also demonstrated that because of their identity-forming potential and their emphasis on religious values, student religious organizations have a unique opportunity to influence student views on race and to organize an effective response when these incidents occur. In order to fulfill this potential, it is important that these organizations take intentional steps to incorporate diversity initiatives into their existing framework and develop a personal action plan for improving their relationship with the University of Mississippi\u27s institutional diversity goals