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BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Some LSU students are unhappy that a meeting of the United Daughters of the Confederacy is planned this week at a campus convention center.
The Advocate in Baton Rouge reports (http://bit.ly/1FzfGwN) students say they plan a demonstration at the Lod Cook Hotel and Conference Center.
The United Daughters of the Confederacy was founded in 1894 to honor those who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Cimajie Best, president of LSU's chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said the conference center's role as host to the group sends the wrong message to students — particularly at a time when the nation is embroiled in a debate over Confederate symbolism and imagery.
"It's bad enough that we have buildings on campus named after Confederate soldiers, but I've come to the conclusion that won't change in my lifetime," Best said. "This is taking it too far."
LSU spokesman Ernie Ballard said the university has no involvement in the Daughters of the Confederacy event. He said LSU's association with the event is limited to the rental of the facility. Ballard said LSU does not regulate non-university related functions at the Cook center, adding that rental of an LSU facility does not imply any endorsement.
Sarah Grace Brooks, president of the Baton Rouge chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy and Louisiana division vice president, confirmed to The Advocate that the group's three-day annual is being held at the Cook Hotel on campus this week.
Brooks did not respond to requests for additional information about the group's plans or a response to the possible demonstration from students.
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Information from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com
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