The song, which was first performed in 1903 by white students in Blackface, came under scrutiny last summer as students and athletes viewed its historical connotation as having racist ties.
The University of Texas said Tuesday that its controversial school song « The Eyes of Texas » does not have racist intent, months after more than 18,000 people signed a petition to keep it. The song, which was first performed in 1903 by white people in black costume makeup—better known as « blackface »—came under scrutiny last summer as students and athletes viewed its historical connotation as having racist ties. In June, the university’s football team, the Texas Longhorns, released a statement calling for the song to be discontinued amid racial justice protests across the country. The players also sparked outrage among alumni for choosing to leave the field rather than taking part in singing the song with fans after several games. In response, a group of alumni and fans created a petition with 18,872 signatures to keep the song and celebrate is as a symbol of « unity. » Following the months-long controversy, a highly anticipated 58-page-report commissioned by school President Jay Hartzell and released on Tuesday, determined that the song has « no racist intent. » « Historical facts add complexity and richness to the story of a song that debuted in a racist setting, exceedingly common for the time, but, as the preponderance of research showed, had no racist intent, » the report stated.
