The University of Texas announced a series of steps Monday intended to make itself more welcoming to its Black students, but it stopped short of shelving the song “The Eyes of Texas,” which a number of athletes have said needs to go because it has racist undertones.
Jay Hartzell, interim president of the university’s flagship campus in Austin, said the song will continue to be the alma mater for the Longhorns.
“Aspects of its origin, whether previously widely known or unknown, have created a rift in how the song is understood and celebrated, and that must be fixed,” Hartzell said.