Who is Tate Reeves? Mississippi governor who lifted mask mandate was once a member of 'racist' frat group
Mississipi Governor Tate Reeves has lifted the mandate for masks in the state starting March 3. The four-page order "encourages" people to wear masks rather than making it mandatory. Seating capacities have also been increased to 50 per cent in indoor spaces. Unlike his Texan counterpart Greg Abbott, Reeves has received less of a backlash over his decision. However, turns out he too is a controversial figure.
While studying at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, Reeves was a member of the highly controversial fraternity Kappa Alpha Order. He was listed as a freshman in 1993 and a member of the fraternity from 1994. Among other things, the fraternity is known for blackface, pro-confederate iconography and frequent clashes with Black students. The highly controversial images were first uncovered by American Bridge, a Democratic super political action committee.
READ MORE
Syracuse fraternity suspended over 'extremely racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic' video
Was Reeves directly involved in the racist activities at Kappa Alpha? This, however, is unclear since there are no photos of him directly involved in any of the offending activities.
Who is Tate Reeves?
Reeves is serving as Mississipi's Governor since 2020. The Republican is a native of Raskin County in the state and has a long history of political service. He first entered political office in 2003 when he became the youngest and first Republican state treasurer, a post he held till 2012. He then successfully ran for the role of Lieutenant Governor, a post he held till 2020 when he was elected as Governor. While he hasn't made headlines as frequently as some of his other counterparts, Reeves' handling of the pandemic has nonetheless come under some criticism.
In 1992, he graduated from Florence High School and went on to pursue a bachelor's degree in economics at Millsaps College. His time here has mostly remained out of public scrutiny till recently. He also played for the Millsaps Majors basketball team as a point guard for a year. Post uni, Reeves pursued a career in banking and finance. He served as Assistant Vice President and senior investment analyst for AmSouth prior to entering politics.
The 46-year-old is also on the board of several organizations such as College Savings Plans Network and Association for Investment Planning and Research. He and his wife, Elee, have three daughters, Sarah Tyler, Elizabeth Magee and Madeline Tate.
Was Reeves involved in racist behavior at uni?
There is no proof that Reeves was involved in any of the racist actions of Kappa Alpha, but yearbook evidence does show that he was a member of the society. There are however, no images of Reeves dressed in confederate clothing or in blackface, so it is unclear if he directly participated in these events. During his time at Millsaps College, the fraternity was barred from holding social events and members were forced to get sensitivity training.
Reeves hasn't publicly acknowledged his role in the society and there is no evidence of him in confederate garb or blackface, but the Governor is known for his strong conservative views. In 2013, he spoke at an event for the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a group that fights to protect confederate monuments. Reeves also held out on removing the confederate flag from Mississipi's state flag, until the state legislature passed a bill to do so.
