In Mind and in Place: Soundscapes of Slavery at the University of Mississippi

This article analyzes the covert racism concealed in the phrase "Ole Miss," a longstanding nickname for the University of Mississippi. The phrase's historical connections to slavery and post-Civil War racism have been well studied. However, less attention has been paid to its contemporary usage on the university's campus. This article uses a sound studies approach to analyze how the phrase continues to circulate within the soundscape of the university. It reveals the phrase "Ole Miss" to be a complex act of voicing: an instance of mock Black vernacular originally used by white students to invoke a caricatural enslaved Black person. Consequently, the article argues that by continuing to use this nickname, the University of Mississippi is essentially compelling Black faculty, students, and staff to revoice this caricature and thus reproduce a soundscape of slavery on campus.