AUSTIN, Texas — On Monday, a group of Black lawmakers, civil rights leaders, students and alumni plan to hold a news conference at the Texas Capitol denouncing the University of Texas’ decision to keep “The Eyes of Texas” as its official song.
Those against the song say it has questionable origins and a racist history. They say the song debuted at minstrel shows, where students likely performed in blackface, singing lyrics that are said to be connected to Robert E. Lee, a Confederate general.
“UT seems to think that because the song’s lyrics are not ‘overtly’ racist, that there’s no harm, no foul,” said Gary Bledsoe, Texas NAACP president and alumnus of UT and the UT Law School. “It’s unconscionable that UT officials have not thought about the matter from the impact on Black people – that the song is mired in the racist tradition of minstrel shows and blackface-wearing White students. We will continue talks, so they understand the impact and facts – that minstrels were performed to degrade and mock African Americans as a form of entertainment for White people. That is as racist as it gets.”
“I am disappointed in the university’s decision but heartened by the commitment that the young students have shown,” he said. “They are simply asking for a racism-free environment so that they can be fully integrated as students. Removing the song is not too much to ask. If the song is changed, no one is harmed.”
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