Erica Grieder: The eyes of Texas are once again on "The Eyes of Texas"

Grappling with painful truths about our state’s history and how those truths persist or reverberate today can be unpleasant, divisive and difficult. Not grappling with them is even worse. The eyes of Texas are once again on the University of Texas at Austin, whose leaders are twisting themselves into pretzels over, well, “The Eyes of Texas.” The university’s anthem, first performed in 1903 at a minstrel show, has been embroiled in controversy since last year. On Wednesday, UT leaders announced that the Longhorn Band — the most high-profile of the university’s bands, and the one that marches at football games as well as other important events — will continue to perform it, as part of the band’s “required repertoire.” Students who have a problem with that will have the option of joining a yet-to-be named, separate marching band, which won’t be required to perform “The Eyes of Texas” or “Texas Fight,” the school’s fight song.

The change, according to the news release, is part of a broader effort to expand options for students, as well as to address funding challenges — but it was “prompted in part by concerns about “The Eyes of Texas.” “We need to celebrate and nurture what makes UT special, and the Longhorn Band is one of those great organizations that shape our campus culture, elevate school spirit and provide amazing opportunities for our students,” University President Jay Hartzell said in a statement, somewhat cryptically. How did we get to this point? The May 2020 killing of George Floyd at the hands of Derek Chauvin — a Minneapolis police officer who was dismissed the following day and convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter on Tuesday — touched off protests and calls for action across the country. A group of student athletes at UT, joined by some members of the Longhorn Band and other student organizations, called for changes around campus, including replacing “Eyes” with a new song and lifting the requirement that athletes sing it, in the meantime.