This line from one of the complainers.

Quote:

My wife and I have given an endowment in excess of $1 million to athletics.

I love college football but I can think of thousands of causes I would donate money to before I gave to a football program.

The views of this donor don't read particularly well:

"Less than 6% of our current student body is black," wrote Larry Wilkinson, a donor who graduated in 1970, quoting a statistic UT-Austin officials have stated they’re working to improve. "The tail cannot be allowed to wag the dog….. and the dog must instead stand up for what is right. Nothing forces those students to attend UT Austin. Encourage them to select an alternate school ….NOW!"

It seems to be an admission that there may be something inherently racist about the song, but if the blacks don't like it, well, they should find a different school.

That wasn't even the worst one:

"It's time for you to put the foot down and make it perfectly clear that the heritage of Texas will not be lost," wrote another donor who graduated in 1986. Their name was also redacted by UT-Austin. "It is sad that it is offending the blacks. As I said before the blacks are free and it's time for them to move on to another state where everything is in their favor."

1) Seems like a very bad recruiting strategy.

I didn't really think it was based in racism until I read the people defending it.

Here is a good recap of what the controversy is. https://www.texasmonthly.com/...f-texas-song-racist/

I'm not sure what to think. Pretty much anything coming out of Texas at that time is going to have racism in its background. It doesn't make the racism OK. But it doesn't seem like this song itself is being accused of being racist, just that it was introduced during a minstrel show and they may well have been wearing blackface when they did it.

The song isn't racist. The lyrics aren't racist. There's no racist irony or innuendo built into it either. Millions of people of many nationalities, races, cultures, and creeds have sung that song with love and pride.

P.S. Ironically, I went to Texas, but I've always found the song a bit irritating. The melody of Row row row your boat? Please.

I personally don't know the song, but there seems to be some discrepancy here. From the first linked article in the OP:

"The song — played to the tune of "I’ve been working on the railroad" — was historically performed at campus minstrel shows, and the title is linked to a saying from Confederate Army Commander Robert E. Lee."

Pretty sure the tune to "I've been working on the railroad" is not the same as "Row, row, row your boat," and the former has many racist roots.

SH wrote:

The song isn't racist. The lyrics aren't racist. There's no racist irony or innuendo built into it either. Millions of people of many nationalities, races, cultures, and creeds have sung that song with love and pride.

Says you. But everyone doesn't see it the same way:

https://www.khou.com/...13-8c4b-9c88e0c9312f

Some of the current players don't and I wonder what the 16-18 year old black kids they are recruiting (and their parents) think? I have a feeling that some of them see it differently than you do.

Lol. I was just about to change it. Doesn't change my opinion of the tune.

I personally don't know the song, but there seems to be some discrepancy here. From the first linked article in the OP:

"The song — played to the tune of "I’ve been working on the railroad" — was historically performed at campus minstrel shows, and the title is linked to a saying from Confederate Army Commander Robert E. Lee."

Pretty sure the tune to "I've been working on the railroad" is not the same as "Row, row, row your boat," and the former has many racist roots.

SH wrote:

Btw.. the tune to "I've been working on the railroad" may well have been created by black laborers. So I guess it depends on what's getting used and not used here, right?

Additionally. A lot of black athletes feel the college set up is pretty racists. 1) blacks are majority athletes, 2) black athletes make up a decent number of blacks at school, 3) blacks are “performing” for white people (majority of college), 4) white people reap the most money from athletics (the college, admin, coaches, etc). 5) athletes don’t get paid in the traditional sense etc.

I can see black athletes not wanting a song or other performances that were associate with making fun of their ancestors. I can see how old white people don’t see an issue with it. (These are the same people who had HUGE issues about people kneeling). The people getting angry about removing the song are the same people who just want to exert their power over people. That’s the only reason they have a problem with removing the song. Anything else is just bad faith.

Good read regarding the history of the songs. I tend to agree with the author's conclusions. Did you read them?

"The Eyes of Texas"
The eyes of Texas are upon you,
All the live long day.
The eyes of Texas are upon you,
You cannot get away.
Do not think you can escape them,
At night, or early in the morn.
The eyes of Texas are upon you,
'Till Gabriel blows his horn!

To trace the history of the tune, you must go back to the late 1860s, when William Prather was a law student at Washington College in Virginia (now called Washington and Lee University). Robert E. Lee was the university president and would frequently remind students that “the eyes of the South are upon you.” According to Dr. Edmund T. Gordon, a professor of African and African Diaspora Studies and Anthropology at UT, the saying was Lee’s way of reminding students to work hard and to uphold Southern traditions.

The saying stuck with Prather as he became a lawyer and then eventually a UT regent. By 1899, he was named president of the university and delivered an address to students on the first day of school. According to a 1926 Dallas Morning News column remembering her father, Prather’s daughter said the crowd roared when the president said: “I would like to paraphrase [Lee’s] utterance, and say to you, ‘Forward, young men and women of the University, the eyes of Texas are upon you!” From then on, it became Prather’s catchphrase. His daughter recalled one instance when students were waiting to hear the president speak. “Bet you a quarter he says ‘eyes of Texas’ before he gets through,” one student said to another. He won the quarter.
...

The two students decided to tweak the lyrics to more explicitly pay homage to Prather’s catchphrase. Johnson suggested that they set the lyrics to the tune of “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” and they eyed an annual campus minstrel show on May 12, 1903, as the right time to debut it, since there would be a large audience, including President Prather. These minstrel shows, which went on until the sixties, were fund-raisers organized by students and featured white performers singing and dancing in blackface.

the only thing that makes sense is that old white people (some) don’t like being told what is allowable by black athletes. That’s the controversy. Members of the Donor class at UT Are racist.

I didn't really think it was based in racism until I read the people defending it.

Yeah I honestly don’t think the donors are that racists. But the situation plays out like this.

Athlete - I don’t want to sing that song
Admin - ok we went going to make you sing that song but we are going to play it.
Donor - if they don’t want to sing that song like everyone before then they should go somewhere else.

The donor is completely off base. He doesn’t want his norms to be changed - doesn’t care why. also wants to be able to force other people to do something. And also wants to indirectly control who gets admitted to UT based on his own criteria.

That’s the only reason why this is an issue. A donor is telling the admin what the standards for the student athletes should be. It’s insane that if you give someone enough money they will force 18 years olds to do something.

This is what cancel culture really looks like.

Well, these kids did choose Texas. It's no mystery what the spirit song is. Why choose to attend a school to play a sport if you are insulted by its spirit song? Short, keeping it real, answer: they weren't insulted by it. They just got to Texas, got tribally aligned, and joined the powerplay. How could you live with yourself 10 to 20 years from now if you weren't sticking it to the man when you had the chance?

But, constitutionally, nobody's money can force anyone to do anything. It's seems very much a first amendment issue at this point. There'll need to be some kind of agreement, or it's going to be everybody upset at everbody at the end of the game.

Hmmm... on second thought maybe it won't be thaaat unfamiliar.

But I can also understand alumni taking umbrage at the idea that they've been secretly participating in some racist charade for the past half century every time they've joyously and harmoniously sang their traditional UT spirit song.

Well, these kids did choose Texas. It's no mystery what the spirit song is. Why choose to attend a school to play a sport if you are insulted by its spirit song? Short, keeping it real, answer: they weren't insulted by it. They just got to Texas, got tribally aligned, and joined the powerplay. How could you live with yourself 10 to 20 years from now if you weren't sticking it to the man when you had the chance?

But, constitutionally, nobody's money can force anyone to do anything. It's seems very much a first amendment issue at this point. There'll need to be some kind of agreement, or it's going to be everybody upset at everbody at the end of the game.

Hmmm... on second thought maybe it won't be thaaat unfamiliar.

So you think that all of the players knew the lyrics of the song and the historic background before joining? Really?

If someone finds out what they have been doing is actually racist, a normal person stops doing that thing, not tells those black people they can just leave the state.

I know I would not take umbrage if I found out some stupid song I sang was actually racist. I think we can judge the people taking umbrage by it.

So you think a young black kid who manages to be accepted to play football for UT - likely a huge opportunity for him - should turn it down if he finds the singing of the song to be offensive? The white privilege is strong here. You almost sound like one of those donors telling them to go to a different school if they don't like it.

The report recommended that students not be required to sing the song.

Going to be some unhappy donors and coaches if that recommendation is accepted...

Are you saying the donors and coaches are for forcing people to sing the song?

Why do they hate freedom of speech (song)?

Alumni and donors are pissed:

https://www.texastribune.org/...texas-donors-emails/

Players say they were threatened/forced to stay on the field:

https://www.texastribune.org/...yes-of-texas-donors/

Sark says the song is staying put:

https://bleacherreport.com/...p-eyes-of-texas-song

I love that Texas is an absolute CFB dumpster fire. Watching their fans meltdown on Twitter weekly enhances the CFB experience on Saturdays in the fall.

Been a lot of debate about the whys in this thread, but cliff notes is some Black players don't want to sing what they say is a racist song. New HC says the song is staying, donors said the Blacks can leave if they don't like it but the song is staying and the players better sing, or else!

As I said above, I just love watching a dumpster fire.

Dozens of students at the University of Texas at Austin who give campus tours to prospective Longhorns are refusing to work this week over a dispute about a plaque with “The Eyes of Texas” lyrics hanging in the Admissions Welcome Center.
The dustup over the plaque is the latest example of UT-Austin officials standing by “The Eyes” over pleas that the university distance itself from the alma mater song because it originated at a minstrel show where students likely wore Blackface.
...
Just this week, a threatening incident was reported to UT-Austin police where a student-led online event about “The Eyes of Texas” was crashed by an unknown man on camera wearing a bandana over his mouth and nose and who appeared to be loading a large gun.
...
“I think this is the tip of the iceberg honestly,” Walker said. “This is the beginning of it and people resisting that decision and not accepting a committee of people deem[ing] the song isn’t racist. There's a whole generation of students and minority students that are equally and more mad than we are and don't want to enter a space that predetermined their opinions don’t matter.”

SH wrote:

What makes Americans of all races and creeds Americans is that we don't like anybody telling us what to do.

My claim is that if you were offended by it, pre-signing, you probably wouldn't go to the school.

There are just too many people hunting for things to be pissed off about these days.

Everything has roots somewhere, usually somewhere not viewed as acceptable under today's standards. All of Rock n' Roll is based on the Blues which is largely based in black work songs, minstrel shows, etc. That doesn't mean all of Rock n' Roll is racist.

For this song, it seems the problem is the melody. Melodies aren't racist. They're just a collection of notes played in a pleasing order taking advantage of harmony, rhythm, etc. I'd be willing to bet that none of these students heard the melody and were instantly reminded of racism, until someone decided they needed to know about one step along development of the origins of the song and to tie it to that issue.

I'm sure the black students weren't aware of the "racist origins" of this song before they decided to attend the school. And I'm sure that if a few people hadn't decided that the origins were racist and then made these "racist origins" a big deal, none of them would have been suddenly seized with anger about how racist the song is.

There are just too many people hunting for things to be pissed off about these days.

Fair enough, but one could make the same point about the alums. Why do they care so much about a song? Is that really such an important part of their collegiate experience? My school got rid of its Indian mascot. As you’d predict, at first lots of alums fussed about it. Now, almost none are calling for a return to those days. The alums adjusted and moved on. My connection to my alma mater is fairly strong and has nothing to do with mascots or school songs. I care how the school is doing, and not what it uses for a mascot or a song.

You’re right that some students chose the school with no reasonable expectation of forcing a change in the school song. By the same token, alums chose the school with no reasonable expectation that the old ways would stay the same.

Everything has roots somewhere, usually somewhere not viewed as acceptable under today's standards. All of Rock n' Roll is based on the Blues which is largely based in black work songs, minstrel shows, etc. That doesn't mean all of Rock n' Roll is racist.

For this song, it seems the problem is the melody. Melodies aren't racist. They're just a collection of notes played in a pleasing order taking advantage of harmony, rhythm, etc. I'd be willing to bet that none of these students heard the melody and were instantly reminded of racism, until someone decided they needed to know about one step along development of the origins of the song and to tie it to that issue.

I'm sure the black students weren't aware of the "racist origins" of this song before they decided to attend the school. And I'm sure that if a few people hadn't decided that the origins were racist and then made these "racist origins" a big deal, none of them would have been suddenly seized with anger about how racist the song is.

There are just too many people hunting for things to be pissed off about these days.

i'm with you. for example, the alumni is pissed off that the black athletes aren't forced to sing the school song in front of the alumni. my guess, the black athletes probably thought they were recruited to play football, not sing songs. that's probably also why the alumni thought black athletes were recruited. now the black athletes have a new deliverable, apparently.

So you think that all of the players knew the lyrics of the song and the historic background before joining? Really?

I didn't really think it was based in racism until I read the people defending it.

Just a sad topical update. Longhorn LB and brother of the QB Ehlinger from your first link was just found dead.

Almost certainly no link to this issue - just reporting because the name caught my attention.

i'm with you. for example, the alumni is pissed off that the black athletes aren't forced to sing the school song in front of the alumni. my guess, the black athletes probably thought they were recruited to play football, not sing songs. that's probably also why the alumni thought black athletes were recruited. now the black athletes have a new deliverable, apparently.

Should be noted that it goes way beyond players. The band wouldn't play it apparently even before the players responded.

I don't think it's racist, but if the sizeable preponderance of the student body wants a change, I don't see the point in mandating that a recording be played in celebratory moments like it or not, dammit. The fun will be mandatory!

Read the room.

It's not like it has a ton of cultural value outside of maybe some alumni nostalgia. Melody is kinda weak. Lyrics are weird. Alumni can sing it at reunions.

There is a hill to die on in defense against the cultural and literary destruction at the hands of the woke pandemic.

I'm not sure this is that hill.

Another thing that makes Americans of all races and creeds Americans is we'll tell you to your face what we think. Sitting meekly and accepting perceived slights isn't really the American way.

That checks out with me since "I've been working" sounds like "white people folk music."

I have never seen a contract for football recruits to sign, however, I would be completely blown away if there wasn't a clause in there that says something to the affect of one of their responsibilities is to uphold the traditions of the school and to attend fundraising events. Both of those would fall under this (asinine) requirement.

I said the tune.

Secondly, your claim that you can hear "black" music versus "white" music -- especially from a potential catalog composed over a centuries long period -- seems absurd to me.

how about if everybody sings the school song, and then everybody - alumni donors included - stick around for a forced singing of we shall overcome. i'm sure everyone will be happy with that.

otherwise, yes. i'm with you. the black student athletes had it explained to them, pre-signing, that the school song began with a blackface minstrel rendition, and while black athletes may find that offensive, they are expected to perform that song after every game. and the black athletes, after having that explained to them, signed anyway.

A few things here:

1.) There may be some voices in addition to yours that are calling for forced singings, but the actual University's position is that there will be no forced singing of any songs. That's also my position from the earlier comments. But I'm not sure that's our only disagreement.

2.) The UT recruits typically have the following information available to them to determine the racism of the song in question:

a.) they can hear it sung during the season every other Saturday by ~60,000 people of all races and colors.
b.) they can hear about it from future team mates during their NCAA approved campus visit that's funded by the University.
c.) they can hear about it from opposing teams trying to dissuade them from going to UT during those NCAA approved campus visits.
d.) they can watch Emmanuel Acho play it on the piano for Ricky Williams as a special homage during Ricky's 30 for 30 ESPN special.


3.) I attended UT Austin in the early 90's. I went to football games and witnessed the singing of the song. I partook in the intellectual climate of the University in that time, and have kept track of it since. The idea that the University of Texas at Austin has been secretly harboring or even meekly tolerating a racist song at the end of every football game for decades and decades is absurd and an ignorant discredit to all the high-minded, open-minded, and courageous people that have gone there and contributed to racial equality and racial diversity in that great University's name. That last cohort has dominated the landscape of ideas at UT since long before I ever arrived, and long after I left.

I'm sure there are parts of Texas that would fit your typical racist stereotypes to a tee. But -- and trust me on this -- Austin, and especially the University, aren't those parts. The idea that black athletes at UT Austin can only just now voice their true feelings on these types of matters is false.