Easiest question in the world. You do nothing. It would be belittling, even racist, to get rid of the song because the song somehow “harms” black students (an absurd claim). Just ride out this bizarre current wave of modish activism.
I don't change it. In terms of school songs, my alma mater's fight song said "man", which in recent years has been changed to "fan" instead. However, most of the stadium still says "man" when we sing the fight song at the football games. I feel like what's happening at UT and my alma mater are similar: virtue signaling that won't accomplish anything of great worth in the long run. Like LeiC said, trying to change a tradition that isn't explicitly offensive risks increasing division instead of easing tensions due to backlash from alumni.
If singing the song were optional, I might be more inclined to leave it be. But this is a song many students will be pressured to sing and perform at all kinds of events (athletics jumps to mind). The thought of forcing someone to sing a song they think demeans them should be the show-stopper.
Retire the song and develop a process to have the current student body write a new one. If folks want to still unofficially sing it, there are all sorts of “unofficial” tunes and traditions celebrated by universities across the country and no reason they can’t cling to this traditional song this way without forcing it on folks it offends.
I don't change it. You can't erase history, but what you can do is bridge gaps between the various parts of your community. There is nothing inherently problematic about the lyrics (no mention of "darkies" or anything like that). The problem, according to those who think there is one, is about the circumstances surrounding the origin. Like you said, most people had no problem with it, until someone dug something up. We don't have a right to our feelings determining how the world turns. Changing it, I think, would deepen the division instead of narrowing it. If your university is like mine, when the Alma Mater is sung, people in the stands throw arms around the people next to them, regardless of race, and sing as one community. Songs and traditions are one of the oldest and best ways of building community, and the risk of increasing division rather than lessening it.
Easiest question in the world. You do nothing. It would be belittling, even racist, to get rid of the song because the song somehow “harms” black students (an absurd claim). Just ride out this bizarre current wave of modish activism.
I don't change it. In terms of school songs, my alma mater's fight song said "man", which in recent years has been changed to "fan" instead. However, most of the stadium still says "man" when we sing the fight song at the football games. I feel like what's happening at UT and my alma mater are similar: virtue signaling that won't accomplish anything of great worth in the long run. Like LeiC said, trying to change a tradition that isn't explicitly offensive risks increasing division instead of easing tensions due to backlash from alumni.
See if you can get a job at A&M.
Just kidding.
If singing the song were optional, I might be more inclined to leave it be. But this is a song many students will be pressured to sing and perform at all kinds of events (athletics jumps to mind). The thought of forcing someone to sing a song they think demeans them should be the show-stopper.
Retire the song and develop a process to have the current student body write a new one. If folks want to still unofficially sing it, there are all sorts of “unofficial” tunes and traditions celebrated by universities across the country and no reason they can’t cling to this traditional song this way without forcing it on folks it offends.
Find a new career?
I don't change it. You can't erase history, but what you can do is bridge gaps between the various parts of your community. There is nothing inherently problematic about the lyrics (no mention of "darkies" or anything like that). The problem, according to those who think there is one, is about the circumstances surrounding the origin. Like you said, most people had no problem with it, until someone dug something up. We don't have a right to our feelings determining how the world turns. Changing it, I think, would deepen the division instead of narrowing it. If your university is like mine, when the Alma Mater is sung, people in the stands throw arms around the people next to them, regardless of race, and sing as one community. Songs and traditions are one of the oldest and best ways of building community, and the risk of increasing division rather than lessening it.