Austin, Texas – In response to demands filed by 149 student organizations as well as student black athletes in Texas for a more inclusive campus, the university announced several changes Monday, including a statue built for the first black soccer player in Texas, Julius Whittier, as In addition to renaming the school’s soccer field for Texas Heisman Trophy winners Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams, it did not replace the school song The Eyes of Texas.
Instead, Texas Acting President Jay Hartzell said in a letter setting out the changes the school will “possess, recognize and teach about all aspects of ‘The Eyes of Texas’ origins as we continue to sing with a redefined vision. that unites our community. ”
“The eyes of Texas, in their current form, will continue to be our alma mater,” Hartzell wrote. “Aspects of its origin, whether widely known or unknown, have created a rift in how the song is understood and celebrated, and that needs to be addressed. I think we can effectively reclaim and redefine what this song represents first owning and recognizing its story in an open and transparent way.
Together, we have the power to define what the Texas Eyes expect of us, what they demand of us and at what level they support us now. The Texas Eyes must not only unite us, but also hold all of us accountable for the core values of our Institution. But first we must own history. Only then can we reimagine its future, and I look forward to partnering with our campus community to do just that. “
In a lawsuit letter posted to their social media in June, black student athletes in Texas said they need to be excused from the post-game tradition of singing The Eyes, as mentioned in Longhorns circles, and the song needs be replaced by “a new song without racist overtones”.
The Eyes of Texas, written in 1903, was first performed on campus in a minstrel show by black-faced white artists. The Eyes has been criticized in years past for being based on the song “I’ll Been Workin On The Railroad” (originally known as “Levee Song”), the lyrics of which were written in 1894 for minstrel shows in Princeton mocking black workers who built levees and railroads in the south.
Over the past month, Hartzell said he spoke and listened to “dozens of students on how the University of Texas at Austin can promote diversity, inclusion and equity and fully support our black students.
“These are the actions we will take together. They represent the continued evolution of our university, which has taken place for 137 years and will take place in generations to come.”
“These efforts fall into two categories. First: do more to recruit, attract, retain, and support even more talented and diverse students, staff, and faculty who can change the world. And second: reconsider how to better reflect our values, both in the symbols and names on our campus, and the openness with which we tell our story. “
Hartzell made the following changes:
– Rename the Robert L. Moore Building as the Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy Building and provide historical explanations within the building for why previous university leaders chose to name the space for Professor Moore.
– Honor Heman M. Sweatt in additional ways: by creating the Heman M. Sweatt entrance to TS Painter Hall as the main entrance on 24th Street; placing a statue of Mr. Sweatt near the entrance; and then reinvent, redesign, and re-dedicate an important space in the building as an exhibition and meeting place where we will tell the story of the United States Supreme Court case of Sweatt v. Painter. This will recognize Mr. Sweatt’s courage and leadership to change the world through the 1950 case he won, allowing him and other black students to attend UT. This will also place Painter Hall in the context of our university’s resistance to integration under the chairmanship of TS Painter and, ultimately, to the crucial role of Sweatt’s decision in integrating public education.
– Honor Pioneers, the first black college students to attend the University of Texas at Austin, by commissioning a new monument in the East Mall. This will be the central feature of a larger space dedicated to pioneering students and members of the faculty that helped make the university more inclusive.
– Erect a statue for Julius Whittier, the Longhorns’ first black football player, at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium.
– At the suggestion of the Jamail family, rename Joe Jamail Field at the stadium to honor the two great Texas Heisman Trophy winners, Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams, two Longhorn legends with a history of commitment to the university.
– Educate our community and visitors about the history and context of many of the remaining names, such as the Littlefield Fountain, the statue of Governor Jim Hogg, the Belo Center, and the pedestals that held a series of statues until 2017 In the work done by the Campus Contextualization Committee, this education can take the form of plaques and a website that our community and visitors can easily access from their phones.
Hartzell also announced an effort to “recruit, attract, retain, and support talented and diverse students, teachers, and staff” that includes:
– Work with a group of students, faculty, staff, and alumni to allocate a multi-billion dollar investment of Athletics income to worthy college programs, whether on or off campus, that work to recruit, attract, retain, and support students blacks.
Hartzell said the school hopes that the financial investment will result in a broader reach in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and elsewhere to better recruit outstanding high school students from underrepresented groups.
“We will raise additional funds to establish more private scholarships specifically dedicated to recruiting students, such as the 1,900 black students who were accepted here and decided to go elsewhere.”
– Providing significant new resources to expand programs that provide transformative opportunities for future black leaders, including some of the outstanding work that is already being done within the university.
– In conjunction with Texas Exes and using a new program within Texas Athletics as a pilot project, launch an effort to improve our students’ ability to position themselves for post-graduation success. This will maximize the impact of our vast alumni network and corporate relationships.
– Adopt a university-wide plan to recruit, develop and retain world-class faculty members who bring more diversity to our research and teaching missions. This plan has been in process for over a year under the leadership of Vice Chancellor for Diversity Ted Gordon and includes new funds for research and scholarships.
– Reorient and sharpen the implementation of our Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (UDIAP), which was launched in 2017. We will regularly signal our priorities, commitment and progress towards measurable objectives through a renewed and better communicated plan, supervised by the Vice President Leonard Moore
– Expand the UT Austin Police Oversight Committee to include more community members and a broader range of students, get you to meet more frequently, and expand your mission to monitor student and community engagement, communications and exploration of creative approaches to community policing, safety and wellness issues on campus.
Hartzell said that despite the fact that the number of black college students on campus has increased by almost 9 percent in the past five years, black students still represent only 5.1% of the student body in Texas.
“Over the past five years, more than 1,900 black students who were automatically accepted here because of their outstanding high school performance chose to go elsewhere,” said Hartzell. “
“Obviously, these talented students had many college options and made decisions for a variety of reasons. Equally obvious to me is that many of those talented students do not believe that our campus is a welcoming home to them, and that we have not provided sufficient resources to ensure that they will get as much of an education at UT as possible.
“I have heard this from current and past students, faculty members, and staff members. It is clear from these conversations and from the data I have reviewed that we can improve.”
More than 13,000 students in Texas signed a petition endorsed by 149 student organizations seeking changes on campus to make Texas more inclusive. Black student-athletes in Texas also released a two-page demand letter for changes that include renaming some buildings on campus while demanding more inclusive statues and artwork, as well as replacing The Eyes of Texas. .
