COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri System President and Interim Chancellor Mun Choi has met with the organizers of a petition seeking the removal of a statue of President Thomas Jefferson.
The petition was started by MU student Roman Leaphart. It demands that the statue of Jefferson be removed due to his ownership of slaves.
“Mizzou has no room for a racist slave owner on our campus, in the Quad, where thousands of black students pass by everyday, forced to deal with imagery of the past in the future where we should be promoting equality, diversity and inclusion. A memorial of a racist has no place on out campus,” the petition reads.
A spokesperson for the University of Missouri confirmed Thursday that Choi met with student organizers and that their conversation was constructive.
It’s unclear if there are any plans to remove or alter the statue at this time. The petition currently has over 3,200 signatures.
