The Fight to Ban UT's Alma Mater Song Continues

Hundreds of faculty at University of Texas have signed a petition to change the schools alma mater song, "The Eyes of Texas."

This is a fight that has been going on for some time, even before the "woke" crowd got involved.

According to a report from CBS Austin, there's a new petition going around and gaining momentum demanding that the University of Texas change its school song. It was sent out by UT History Professor Alberto Martínez and has since been signed by hundreds of UT staffers.

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Back in early June, a student petition called "8 Demands for Transformative Change" went around and gathered at least 96 signatures. The latest petition has added 140 new signatures.

Martínez is the author of an article titled "100 Problems in ‘The Eyes of Texas’", which lists 100 reasons why the alma mater is divisive. Did you know that the song has been rejected by 131 Presidents of UT student organizations?

Jay Hartzell, University of Texas President, announced a taskforce last summer to look into the song's history. The taskforce issued a 58-page report stating that although the song was performed at a minstrel show where students "likely" wore blackface, it was determined that the song was not "overtly racist."

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The decision to keep the song sparked more controversy with the announcement that the UT Band will be required to play the song at football games this fall. That caused people to look for a compromise, which resulted in the formation of a separate marching band for those opposed to playing the alma mater. The new marching band will be ready to perform in the fall of 2022.

That decision was also met with criticism from students and faculty.

The song continues to bring divide amongst student and faculty.

If you're interested, here's a link to the university's report on the song. The website hosting the report also features tabs with interviews and insights shed light on the song's history and the current controversy surrounding it.

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