Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith graduated from a high school that was established by white parents who didn’t want their children attending class with black students, according to a new report. Hyde-Smith’s attendance at the Lawrence County Academy, referred to by the Jackson Free Press as a “segregation academy,” is documented in a 1975 yearbook.This yearbook, named “The Rebel,” features a photo of cheerleaders alongside their school mascot, who is “dressed in what appears to be an outfit designed to mimic that of a Confederate general [and] offers a salute as she holds up a large Confederate flag.”Among those pictured is Hyde-Smith, who was a sophomore at the time, according to the yearbook caption. Hyde-Smith was recorded at a campaign event saying she would be comfortable attending a public hanging. She later issued an apology. The gaffe is thought to have bolstered her opponent, Democrat Mike Espy, who is African-American, in a runoff election for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. A spokeswoman for Hyde-Smith characterized the report as a low blow from the "gotcha liberal media," according to The Hill.
