Texas athletes petitioning University to replace "The Eyes of Texas" and to no longer require athletes to sing it

[Restinmybones 111]

2 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

These are some fairly bad portrayals of people from Africa. If you were of African descent, would you want your kids to read books that show them as ape-like? Personally I think the Dr. Seuss group could have edited the books to remove the questionable material but then again perhaps it's just as easy to drop the book. 

 

Might agree with you on the illustration there.... 

[A’Dam Psycho 1469]

It’s hilarious that Sooner and aggys think they’re above this. Black recruits are gonna run to aggyland and their “egg Obama day” cult. Like these twats don’t have racist af BMDs

[Tex-19 2869]

So let me get this straight:

A&M had an uproar and decided not to remove a literal statue to a violent white supremacist (can't even imagine those emails)

Oklahoma's mascot is named after people who cheated to go claim land forcefully taken away from Native Americans

Texas has a song that was once part of a minstrel show a hundred years ago but has no obvious racial connotations 

And Texas is the one they create a story about? Please. Get this soft as shit out of here Tribune. I hope everyone stops clicking on their crap.

[AUS-97HORN 11687]

how the fuck does this same discussion keep popping up every 2-3 months?.....  i beleive this is now the 4th fucking time the same shit keeps being brought up. and its pretty obvious there is a back end agenda being handled.

I personally dont believe the song was intended to be racist, but at this point, the bullshit social genie is out of the bottle and I dont see anyway of corking that bottle again.

we are going to have to shelve the song. 

plus in the 8 months since the original petition hit the same fucking discussion keeps being brought back to the front page by various news orgs.... they arent going to let this issue die, and there is a damn good chance in another 2-3 months its gonna pop up again.

 

[UTEX_ME 4754]

21 minutes ago, Tex-19 said:

So let me get this straight:

A&M had an uproar and decided not to remove a literal statue to a violent white supremacist (can't even imagine those emails)

Oklahoma's mascot is named after people who cheated to go claim land forcefully taken away from Native Americans

Texas has a song that was once part of a minstrel show a hundred years ago but has no obvious racial connotations 

And Texas is the one they create a story about? Please. Get this soft as shit out of here Tribune. I hope everyone stops clicking on their crap.

aggy and sooner also had 9-10 win seasons and didn't have a coaching change.. This fall if Texas gets 10+ wins next year / wins the conference no one gives a shit about The Eyes story. 

[TreatyOak 16169]

3 hours ago, Restinmybones said:

I defy ANYONE to find anything "racist" in those Seuss books. Personally, I think we're going nuts as a culture. This won't stop anytime soon and will NOT end well.

Do your homework, then post. The Chinese man running down the street eating rice from a bowl with chopsticks in What I Saw on Mulberry Street is pretty racist. And since that is the only depiction of a person of Chinese heritage in the entire book, it looks pretty bad. 

[Cajun 11675]

1 hour ago, UDontKnow said:

 

How stupid were students back then? 

Just as stupid as they are now.

[GringoSalado 1651]

2 hours ago, GTX Horn said:

I was at a wedding a while back and they asked everyone to get in a circle, so I got in the circle. The DJ started saying something about how the bride and groom wanted everyone to take part in one of their favorite traditions and the aggy war hymn started playing. I couldn’t jump out of that circle fast enough.

HAHAHA this (more or less) happened to me once. Sang it really loud and really, really off key.

 

 

[GringoSalado 1651]

2 hours ago, Texas73 said:

In 1971 the Student Senate voted to change the mascot from the Longhorn to the Armadillo because the Armadillo was more peaceful. 

Damn I did not know that. Wonder what they'd do w/ XV.

[babysdaddy 2718]

15 minutes ago, TreatyOak said:

Do your homework, then post. The Chinese man running down the street eating rice from a bowl with chopsticks in What I Saw on Mulberry Street is pretty racist. And since that is the only depiction of a person of Chinese heritage in the entire book, it looks pretty bad. 

[Restinmybones 111]

17 minutes ago, TreatyOak said:

Do your homework, then post. The Chinese man running down the street eating rice from a bowl with chopsticks in What I Saw on Mulberry Street is pretty racist. And since that is the only depiction of a person of Chinese heritage in the entire book, it looks pretty bad. 

Not sure I agree with that, chief.

[Restinmybones 111]

19 minutes ago, TreatyOak said:

Do your homework, then post. The Chinese man running down the street eating rice from a bowl with chopsticks in What I Saw on Mulberry Street is pretty racist. And since that is the only depiction of a person of Chinese heritage in the entire book, it looks pretty bad. 

In fact, asshole, I don't see it, at all. Guess your lobotomy didn't work.

[David Dennison 18694]

33 minutes ago, TreatyOak said:

Do your homework, then post. The Chinese man running down the street eating rice from a bowl with chopsticks in What I Saw on Mulberry Street is pretty racist. And since that is the only depiction of a person of Chinese heritage in the entire book, it looks pretty bad. 

The depiction of Africans is super racist.

[TreatyOak 16169]

21 minutes ago, Restinmybones said:

In fact, asshole, I don't see it, at all. Guess your lobotomy didn't work.

Goodness. Your words are so tough and so scary. 

[Pope Joan 68]

7 hours ago, BurntOrange&White said:

I don't know if it's ironic or unironic but Asians are amongst the most racist people I've encountered in the world.

Multironic. This has been my experience, as well.

[UncleSonny 6564]

2 hours ago, Gravy Train said:

Fuck that, I'm tired of the shifting goalposts of cultural "racist" victimhood, mostly by ill-read and marginally-experienced Millennial little orange-slice-eating, everyone-got-a-trophy shits.  Their social media slanders of self-declared agendas and demands are equally as bullying as one who shames a donor's E-mail with "the blacks" in its content.

Point of order for you guys when you are going on these incredible rants, you need to adjust your buzzwords. Technically I'm a millennial and I'm closer to 40 than 30 at this point. No typical college student or athlete is a millennial, the young people that are now ruining the world are Gen Z.

[SarkAfterDark 1688]

I don’t know what the university’s response to these emails were, but regardless of the song issue, racist shit like those emails should not be tolerated. Those fuck heads thinking their money is the end of the line are sadly mistaken and wish the university would call them out on their shit and tell them to keep their money and let them watch the university succeed without them.

[Aqua Buddha 14529]

4 hours ago, Liquor and Poker said:

Arkansas would like a word with you.  Been to 3 Razorback grads' weddings.  All have had a razorback for a groom cake and all have had the whole crowd do Whoo Pigs Sooie after the kiss.  No, they didn't know each other (but yes they were all likely cousins).

Then they're likely rubes or T-shirt fans.  I was at a wedding once with Frank Broyles and trust me, no one did that.

[Aqua Buddha 14529]

The old guard has done such a shitty job with football that maybe they should turn it over to the woke crowd.

[Catdaddyhorn 3444]

26 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

The old guard has done such a shitty job with football that maybe they should turn it over to the woke crowd.

Ain't that the truth. One National championship in 50 years is fucking ridiculous for a program like ours. 

[Gravy Train 974]

36 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

The old guard has done such a shitty job with football that maybe they should turn it over to the woke crowd.

Woke crowd:  Can't start Hudson Card, too many "privilegeds" huddled around the center.

Woke crowd:  Coach Banks needs to enroll in sensitivity training.  Girlfriend checks out but pet monkey is highly racist.

[PassiveAggressiveCoach 118]

23 hours ago, Hookem2147 said:

I love the Eyes of Texas but I love winning football games more. This is not Sark or Herman’s or the donors fault. This falls on CDC and the admin to get control of this like they should have done a long ass time ago.

So if we get rid of the Eyes we will win championships? That's been the issue? 

[jimmyjazz 45606]

OK, I've ignored this story for the first two or three laps, but today I found myself listening to various back and forth on "sports" radio.

Is the alleged racist connotation the fact that UT students performed the song in blackface minstrel shows, or does it go farther . . . are the "eyes" on African Americans exclusively, as in "keep in line"?

I know, Quan says we'll get the whole history next week, but it would be nice to know whether it's the actual lyrics that are the problem or if it's just the fact that ignorant trash sang the song.  If it's the latter, they also breathed, pissed and shit, and nobody is (to my knowledge) suggesting that breathing, pissing or shitting are racist acts.

[UncleSonny 6564]

17 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Is the alleged racist connotation the fact that UT students performed the song in blackface minstrel shows, or does it go farther . . . are the "eyes" on African Americans exclusively, as in "keep in line"?

That’s basically it but it’s probably more so that it was written for and made its debut at a campus minstrel show than the subsequent performances at them over the years. 

For the second part of the question there really isn’t any evidence that the lyrics are a problem. I think when the controversy first popped up there was some belief among players and black students that the lyrics referred to “the eyes” of slave owners being upon slaves but contemporary stories about the song being written have been pretty clear that they are a play on something the University president said at the time and don’t have a racial connotation. We’ll see if the report turns up any new information. 

Edited March 3, 2021 by UncleSonny

[Rimbo 25819]

5 hours ago, Tex-19 said:

Not gonna read this whole thread but just came to say F the Texas Tribune for digging up old drama based on random emails. Classic manufacturing of a story for clicks.

Give them some credit, those emails weren't chosen at random. They deliberately chose the worst ones they could find.

[Hookem2147 20935]

52 minutes ago, PassiveAggressiveCoach said:

So if we get rid of the Eyes we will win championships? That's been the issue? 

No, but there are people who cheer for this university who would rather sing a song than win football games. I’d love to do both but I won’t let one get in the way of the other. We lost of our arch rival in 4 OT’s and not one story after the game had anything to do with the game itself.

[GTX Horn 1707]

40 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

OK, I've ignored this story for the first two or three laps, but today I found myself listening to various back and forth on "sports" radio.

Is the alleged racist connotation the fact that UT students performed the song in blackface minstrel shows, or does it go farther . . . are the "eyes" on African Americans exclusively, as in "keep in line"?

I know, Quan says we'll get the whole history next week, but it would be nice to know whether it's the actual lyrics that are the problem or if it's just the fact that ignorant trash sang the song.  If it's the latter, they also breathed, pissed and shit, and nobody is (to my knowledge) suggesting that breathing, pissing or shitting are racist acts.

Mainly the origins but I’ve heard a lot of people (particular current students and recent grads) claim that the line “you cannot get away” refers directly to runaway slaves and that the “Eyes” are slave masters or something like that. Frankly it seems to me that its lyrical interpretation has somewhat devolved into a game of telephone where one person creates an interpretation that is suddenly accepted as “fact.” Whether accurate or not, people on social media eat that up and suddenly it’s the truth.

[jimmyjazz 45606]

22 minutes ago, GTX Horn said:

Mainly the origins but I’ve heard a lot of people (particular current students and recent grads) claim that the line “you cannot get away” refers directly to runaway slaves and that the “Eyes” are slave masters or something like that. Frankly it seems to me that its lyrical interpretation has somewhat devolved into a game of telephone where one person creates an interpretation that is suddenly accepted as “fact.” Whether accurate or not, people on social media eat that up and suddenly it’s the truth.

Well, I have to admit, that was the only angle I could come up with when trying to figure out how the song itself is racist, and I haven't paid any attention to the controversy over the last 9 months.

So, it's not out of the question, although the timing seems odd.  I mean, weren't the lyrics crafted well past the turn of the century?  

I'm probably rehashing many old discussions, but I'm not reading 132 pages.  I'll bow out and wait for the (ahem) "report".  (You know, the one that says it's OK to sing the song, because that was clearly the conclusion going in.)

[Zeus 5952]

Twitter is cancer and so is cancel culture. 

 

 

[Texas73 420]

The Eyes of Texas was written as a parody on President Prather in 1903 and people honestly think it is referring to slave owners keeping their eyes on runaway slaves? Really? It is not a proud fact but there were no Black students at UT for over 50 years after the song was written. What sense does it make for the students who were all white singing a racist song referring to Black slaves?

If that were the case then it would have been documented as racists can't hide their racism for that many decades. And if the song was written for that purpose then of course we would ditch it. 

 

Edited March 3, 2021 by Texas73

[Zeus 5952]

2 minutes ago, Texas73 said:

The Eyes of Texas was written as a parody on President Prather in 1903 and people honestly think it is referring to slave owners keeping their eyes on runaway slaves? Really? It is not a proud fact but there were no Black students at UT for over 50 years after the song was written. What sense does it make for the students who were all white singing a racist song referring to Black slaves?

If that were the case then it would have been documented as racists can't hide their racism for that many decades. And if the song was written for that purpose then of course we would ditch it. 

 

[MaybeACoordinator 8349]

My great grandfather was probably in attendance for the creation of this song. My grandfather sang it to my dad, and I sang it to my kids at bedtime. Maybe they will to their kids, maybe they won't, but it's just time it moves out of the public eye. 

[mininghorn88 2270]

I receive calls from current UT students asking me to donate to the school.  I am going to start my own poll on what they think of the song as that will be my leading comment after they ask me for more money.

[EuroHorn 3204]

7 hours ago, Texas73 said:

I'm a 1973 graduate, there were 4% Black students then and 6% now so I don't consider that very different. The biggest difference is the white percentage of students has decreased due to the increase of Asian-Americans and Hispanics. The campus was extremely liberal as evidenced by the size and number of anti-Vietnam War protests and McGovern won the presidential race in '72 by getting over 90% of the vote against Nixon.

In 1971 the Student Senate voted to change the mascot from the Longhorn to the Armadillo because the Armadillo was more peaceful. 

Well the team has tended to roll up when faced with danger over the last decade or so...

[Kyle 207]

Can't we focus on how facts, math, reason, timeliness, etc., are racist?

[ImissWallyPryor 9045]

10 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

 Personally I think the Dr. Seuss group could have edited the books to remove the questionable material but then again perhaps it's just as easy to drop the book. 

 

What does Chris Derry have to do with Dr. Suess?

Edited March 3, 2021 by ImissWallyPryor

[mininghorn88 2270]

6 minutes ago, ImissWallyPryor said:

What does Chris Derry have to do with Dr. Suess?

I was thinking Merton Hanks!

[SD Hox 108]

You're all hicks B/W tradition is for simps

STEP.

[Cajun 11675]

14 hours ago, AUS-97HORN said:

how the fuck does this same discussion keep popping up every 2-3 months?.....  i beleive this is now the 4th fucking time the same shit keeps being brought up. and its pretty obvious there is a back end agenda being handled.

I personally dont believe the song was intended to be racist, but at this point, the bullshit social genie is out of the bottle and I dont see anyway of corking that bottle again.

we are going to have to shelve the song. 

plus in the 8 months since the original petition hit the same fucking discussion keeps being brought back to the front page by various news orgs.... they arent going to let this issue die, and there is a damn good chance in another 2-3 months its gonna pop up again.

 

Shelve the song and you satisfy the Beast for a day, week, a month if lucky.  Bullshit social genie just gets stronger, more emoldened, and that much hungrier.

It never ends until you stand your ground, take its blows, and then let it shrink away looking for somewhere else to run its racket and feed its appetite.

Edited March 3, 2021 by Cajun

[alincoln 2364]

Texas will eventually shelve the song because the pressure applied by the wokesters will be unrelenting regardless of the conclusions set forth in the report and the dubious claims regarding the racist origins of the song. 

Through scholarship befitting a university professor, Dr. Gordon decided that The Eyes is racist and used his influence among Texas athletes to encourage the aggressive pursuit of the cancellation of the song.  Their unquestioning "allies" in the media and university (truly the "simps" in this scenario) have used their positions and influence to parrot Gordon's claims without deigning to investigate their veracity.  The piling on has yielded the assumption that "The Eyes is racist."

A&M and Oklahoma wouldn't be in this position because they would have immediately refuted the claims relating to the song as bullshit.  Texas unsurprisingly took a very different approach and now finds itself in the crosshairs of the woke mob.  I'm not advocating for Texas to adopt an A&M mentality regarding these issues, but the cancel culture playbook is well worn at this point and Texas' more considered approach to evaluating the issue was naive is retrospect.

[Js1 85152]

Good job hitting all your talking point buzzwords there. 

Edited March 3, 2021 by Js1

[alincoln 2364]

I can only imagine how pathetic your unedited retort must have been.  

[Randolph Duke 4034]

14 minutes ago, alincoln said:

Texas will eventually shelve the song because the pressure applied by the wokesters will be unrelenting regardless of the conclusions set forth in the report and the dubious claims regarding the racist origins of the song. 

Through scholarship befitting a university professor, Dr. Gordon decided that The Eyes is racist and used his influence among Texas athletes to encourage the aggressive pursuit of the cancellation of the song.  Their unquestioning "allies" in the media and university (truly the "simps" in this scenario) have used their positions and influence to parrot Gordon's claims without deigning to investigate their veracity.  The piling on has yielded the assumption that "The Eyes is racist."

A&M and Oklahoma wouldn't be in this position because they would have immediately refuted the claims relating to the song as bullshit.  Texas unsurprisingly took a very different approach and now finds itself in the crosshairs of the woke mob.  I'm not advocating for Texas to adopt an A&M mentality regarding these issues, but the cancel culture playbook is well worn at this point and Texas' more considered approach to evaluating the issue was naive is retrospect.

I think the plan is to release the committee report next week, have a discussion based on the contents of that report, and then decide where we go from there.

The "wokesters" have had many motives and opinions ascribed to them. I'm wanting to hear from some of them directly and to read the report. After that, we will see what is the best course of action.

I still think the article Texas tribune published was an embarrassment to journalism. I'm on record of wanting UT to pull the majority of its $2mil annual payment to Texas Tribune and to instead direct that money to minority-owned publications. We need the "fourth estate" to inform and promote thoughtful discussion, not to inflame or publish articles that fail to meet reasonable journalistic standards.

$2 mil/yr to support "fluff" is a waste of public funds.

[LTtxfan 49017]

Just to catch folks up who are late to this discussion.

2:10 Mark.... Question on "The Eyes of Texas"

 

Both Ricky and Earl see value in keeping "The Eyes of Texas" 

By not immediately canceling the song, more discussions have been happening.  More Longhorn players & students are now better interacting with alumni and vice versa.  This is a good thing.  People need to discuss things more and dictate less.  The Committee report comes out next week, probably on Tuesday.  I look forward to reading the entire report and learning about their findings.

 

Btw -- Several have said to just let the EOT go due to all the criticism.  Be Careful... Just because you are criticized doesn't mean you should just give in.  

 

[Restinmybones 111]

5 minutes ago, LTtxfan said:

Just to catch folks up who are late to this discussion.

2:10 Mark.... Question on "The Eyes of Texas"

 

Both Ricky and Earl see value in keeping "The Eyes of Texas" 

By not immediately canceling the song, more discussions have been happening.  More Longhorn players & students are now better interacting with alumni and vice versa.  This is a good thing.  People need to discuss things more and dictate less.  The Committee report comes out next week, probably on Tuesday.  I look forward to reading the entire report and learning about their findings.

 

Btw -- Several have said to just let the EOT go due to all the criticism.  Be Careful... Just because you are criticized doesn't mean you should just give in.  

 

Honestly, more and more people of all races and socio-economic levels are waking up to the insanity of this "woke" shit every day. It's at least somewhat encouraging. It is intended to divide people and distract them from the real issues facing the country. It also prevents the middle classes, poor, and upper middle classes from uniting, which is what our oligarchs fear most.

[SD Hox 108]

1 hour ago, Cajun said:

Shelve the song and you satisfy the Beast for a day, week, a month if lucky.  Bullshit social genie just gets stronger, more emoldened, and that much hungrier.

It never ends until you stand your ground, take its blows, and then let it shrink away looking for somewhere else to run its racket and feed its appetite.

At least you tried. 🤘🤷‍♂️

[sith_horn 2370]

10 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'm probably rehashing many old discussions, but I'm not reading 132 pages.  I'll bow out and wait for the (ahem) "report".  (You know, the one that says it's OK to sing the song, because that was clearly the conclusion going in.)

Since you probably aren't the only one, I'll repost this:

An Open Letter to the Eyes of Texas History Committee - By UTgrad'08 on Feb 10, 2021

Spoiler

Since June, I have posted several times about The Eyes of Texas controversy. My original post focused on the actual history of The Eyes of Texas, which I concluded was not racist. I went more in-depth by creating a visual presentation of my findings by publishing two YouTube videos, Part I and Part II.

My last attempt to inject some sanity back into students, athletes, fans, alumni, professors, and administrators regarding this issue has been to write to every member on the Eyes of Texas History Committee that is currently investigating many elements of the song. I am now making the letter that I sent to the Committee an open letter via this post. The Committee is scheduled to release its conclusions and decisions at the end of this month.

If you agree with my stance on the Eyes of Texas, or at least believe that a more balanced investigation of the song should take place, please share my letter to the Committee with as many people as possible, as you see fit.

Additionally, if you have the same questions and/or concerns that I have concerning the Committee and/or the future of The Eyes of Texas as the official alma mater of UT, please also contact the Committee at the following email addresses and Twitter handles (these email addresses are public information, found on the University's website):

Dr. H.W. Brands, Professor of History: hwbrands@austin.utexas.edu, @hwbrands

Dr. Edmund Gordon, Associate Professor: etgordon@austin.utexas.edu

President Jay Hartzell: president.hartzell@utexas.edu, @JCHartzell

Dr. Peniel Joseph, Professor of Public Affairs: peniel.joseph@austin.utexas.edu, @PenielJoseph

Mr. Jim Nicar, Director of the UT History Corner and UT Heritage Society: @JimNicar

Dr. Richard Reddick, Associate Dean for Equity, Community Engagement, and Outreach: richard.reddick@austin.utexas.edu, @DrRichReddick

Dr. Mary Rivas-Rodriguez, Professor of Journalism: mrivas@austin.utexas.edu, @MRivasRodriguez

Dr. Cherise Smith, Professor of African and African Diaspora Studies: cherise_smith@austin.utexas.edu, @CheriseSmithPhD

The following is the text of that open letter:

 

 

This letter is respectfully addressed to Dr. H.W. Brands, Dr. Edmund Gordon, President Jay Hartzell, Dr. Peniel Joseph, Mr. Jim Nicar, Dr. Richard Reddick, Dr. Mary Rivas-Rodriguez, Dr. Cherise Smith, and the rest of the members of The Eyes of Texas History Committee:

Since June of 2020, and possibly for some time before, multiple misstatements have been made about the song "The Eyes of Texas." Additionally, many have presented a severe misinterpretation of the song's history. These misinterpretations were most likely inspired by Dr. Edmund Gordon's "Racial Geography Tour" that has become popular viewing for University students in the past several years. If this Committee should find fault with The Eyes of Texas, or recommend its alteration or even abolition, or its presentation as the alma mater, I believe it must answer or address the following:

1. If Robert E. Lee was so fond of using the expression, "the eyes of the South are upon you," then why is there a severe lack of primary or even secondary source evidence showing that he did in fact use this phrase? To my knowledge, neither Dr. Gordon nor the multitude of articles, op-eds, etc. claiming that Lee frequently used this phrase have supplied any historical evidence showing that he actually did so. If the Committee has evidence to the contrary, it should provide it to the public.

2. What can be proven via primary source documents is that the quote "the eyes of the world are upon us," "the eyes of America are upon us," and several other variations of this phrase have been used by famous historical figures for centuries. This highly suggests that "the eyes of Texas" mirrors a common historical phrase rather than one that has specific ties to Robert E. Lee, the Confederacy, or the American South. The Committee should clarify this fact, so that media outlets do not repeat the lie that Robert E. Lee directly inspired the song or phrase, "The Eyes of Texas."

3. It has been claimed by some, like Dr. Gordon, that President William L. Prather's repetition of the phrase "the eyes of Texas are upon you" was directly inspired by Lee. If this is true, why did Prather's daughter - Mary Lee Prather Darden - contradict this claim in a 1926 Dallas Morning News interview? Based on her recollection at that time, Prather did not quote Robert E. Lee in his 1899 speech. The Committee should clearly communicate that accounts of Prather's 1899 speech are, at the very least, inconclusive regarding the question of him quoting Lee, or using anything Lee said as an inspiration for the phrase "the eyes of Texas are upon you."

4. There is at least some doubt, by Dr. Gordon's own admission, that black face was used in the 1903 debut of "The Eyes of Texas." On his "Racial Geography Tour," Dr. Gordon states, "In minstrel shows of the era performers wore blackface, although this detail is not specifically recorded in accounts of the Hancock show." If this is the case, then the Committee should urge those in the media to accurately report that black face "may have been used" during the debut of the song. They should also clearly communicate this fact to students, fans, alumni, athletes, and all other interested parties.

5. According to all available historical evidence, "The Eyes of Texas" quickly became a song beloved by the student body and adopted as a school anthem. It did not remain a regular "minstrel song." The Committee should clarify for all those interested that, while the song debuted at a minstrel show, students, administration, and alumni quickly elevated "The Eyes of Texas" as a song to represent the high ideals of the University. In other words, while minstrel shows and acts were, unfortunately, somewhat common at the University until the 1960s, performing "The Eyes of Texas" was not a regular minstrel routine on campus.

6. Many people have falsely connected the spirit group Texas Cowboys as being involved with minstrel shows and "The Eyes of Texas." While the Texas Cowboys did perform minstrel shows up until the 1960s, the group was founded in 1922, and the first performance of "The Eyes of Texas" took place in 1903. The Committee should seek to clarify these facts.

7. It has been claimed that "The Eyes of Texas" has "racist undertones." While the exact meaning of "racist undertones" depends on one's own interpretation and opinion, it can be assumed that many mean that the song has a hidden, racist meaning. By examining the history of the song, this is not the case. The main author, John L. Sinclair, nicknamed the song the "prexy joke parody," meaning it was intended to make fun of President William L. Prather. The Committee should communicate to all those interested that the words and lyrics of the song were clearly directed at one object - President Prather - and never had any sort of hidden or overt racial message.

8. Those who claim "The Eyes of Texas" is a racist song usually focus on two key points: its debut at a 1903 minstrel show, and the tune of the song, which is based on "I've Been Working on the Railroad" or "The Levee Song." Some have argued that the adoption of the tune was another way for the authors to present a quasi-hidden racist message. However, in a 2003 Alcalde article, Frances Vick and Jim Nicar (who is a member of this committee) claimed that John Sinclair heard black workers singing "I've Been Working on the Railroad" on his family farm, liked the tune, and chose to use it for "The Eyes of Texas." If this is the case, the Committee should, at the very least, admit that it is not exactly known why the tune was adopted for the "The Eyes of Texas," and that there is evidence that suggests race had no specific impact in Sinclair's decision to use the tune that he chose.

In conclusion, it is my opinion that this Committee, especially those who are historians and academics, should communicate that the actual historical evidence contradicts many of the present negative claims about the history of "The Eyes of Texas." While the song did debut at a minstrel show, and used the tune of a common minstrel show song, Longhorn fans, students, alumni, and all others interested should know the true historical facts concerning the story and creation of "The Eyes of Texas."

For more information and a more comprehensive presentation of the facts and evidence I have highlighted above, please view the following:

A Historical Case FOR Singing "The Eyes of Texas": https://www.burntorangenation.com/2020/6/16/21292505/a-historical-case-for-singing-the-eyes-of-texas?_ga=2.152953137.906723874.1607744790-1033583533.1592006177

The REAL History of The Eyes of Texas - Part I: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOLsCglGeW4

The REAL History of The Eyes of Texas - Part II: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZRa-e-8GQo

If I am in error regarding the presentation or interpretation of historical facts and evidence, please let me know.

Sincerely,

KeepTheEyes

Historian & Texas Ex

@KeepTheEyes1

 

[David Dennison 18694]

2 hours ago, Cajun said:

Shelve the song and you satisfy the Beast for a day, week, a month if lucky.  Bullshit social genie just gets stronger, more emoldened, and that much hungrier.

It never ends until you stand your ground, take its blows, and then let it shrink away looking for somewhere else to run its racket and feed its appetite.

Like the Washington Football Team issue, this is not going to shrink away. The song will be retired and eventually, no one will miss it.

[YChang 3432]

17 minutes ago, Restinmybones said:

Honestly, more and more people of all races and socio-economic levels are waking up to the insanity of this "woke" shit every day. It's at least somewhat encouraging. It is intended to divide people and distract them from the real issues facing the country. It also prevents the middle classes, poor, and upper middle classes from uniting, which is what our oligarchs fear most.

I don't see it as insidious as what you described. There's absolutely a reason to bring awareness and highlight things that aren't right. Butttt... as with so many things there can also be a negative aspect to that as well. Especially with <painting with broad brush> some of today's college-age youth being way too hyper-sensitive to everything. I chalk that up to exuberance toward something that resonates with them and general dumbassery due to youth.  <shrug>

[Cajun 11675]

3 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

Like the Washington Football Team issue, this is not going to shrink away. The song will be retired and eventually, no one will miss it.

Ladies & gentlemen, the booger blob’s representative has spoken!