Here’s my hypothetical speech I’d give to the team if I was Tom Herman, football coach at the University of Texas –
Team, I understand the concerns that some black players have with our school song. Although it has been rumored to have been performed in black face in 1910, I would like to tell you that the song is not racist. And that if you think a tune with lyrics “The eyes of Texas are upon you ’til Gabriel blows his horn” is racist, please explain it to me. And even if it was performed that way 110 years ago when the entire school was white and yes, it was a totally different era – how does this really impact you as a black student in 2020? You now follow in the footsteps of great players like Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams and dozens of other great black UT football players. Do you really think that erasing history, taking down statues of Lincoln or Washington is going to make things better? Heal the racial divide? Bottom line, is that politics – especially radical Marxist politics – is controlling this dialogue – not racial justice. Yes, we have seen some white police officers step over the line – but the looting and rioting that followed cannot be justified. In reality, black neighborhoods and black babies are who are really suffering from all of this – getting caught in the crossfire – and there is never any justification for the violence we’ve seen in urban cities during this Presidential election year. BLM sadly is not helping. They were founded by admitted America hating Marxists. The woman who helps fund BLM is a white convicted domestic terrorist who also hates America. They want racial division.
So today, all of that has trickled down to the one thing that really brings people of ALL races together – Sports. Yet, here we are with virtually all of our black athletes refusing to participate in singing The Eyes of Texas – because someone said that it might have been performed in black face 110 years ago. So, we are going to get rid of Washington, Lincoln, Columbus and replace them with what? We are going to pretend we didn’t have a great War – a Great Civil War – where 300,000 white Northern soldiers Died to free blacks from Slavery. We are going to pretend that Columbus didn’t discover America. We are going to pretend that Washington, Jefferson and other slave owners didn’t found this country with its ability to change and become better. America has become better. Despite Slavery, Segregation, Jim Crow – we have ratified the 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments to free slaves and give them citizenship and the right to vote – and in the 60s we passed a Civil Rights Act that enforced these rights that had kept blacks down. It has taken a long time, too long, but we finally are starting to live up to Jefferson’s magnificent words in the Declaration of Independence – “We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL Men are Created Equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain Unalienable Rights, among them: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
In 2020, are we there yet? No. But we are damned close. But radical groups like BLM and Antifa are not helping. They are destroying race relations in this country. And that’s exactly what they want. Don’t be fooled. Think hard if you think you are going to make things better by boycotting this rather silly but harmless song Texas fans have held dear for 110 years.
As for me, I’ve discussed the pros and cons of simply not singing the Eyes of Texas. Some of our donors said they’ll stop giving to our school if we stop singing this cherished song that to them has not an ounce of racism associated with it. So what do I do? Get rid of a what most of us feel is 110 year old tradition or capitulate to the radicals who want to get rid of all of our history?
Given the rather mediocre and undisciplined performance of this football team in 2020, I am quite willing to make a stand that may make most of our best black athletes angry. I want a team that doesn’t get caught up in this political circus. I find nothing objectionable with the Eyes of Texas. If you do, you are quite welcome to transfer to another school to finish your athletic career. If I have to forfeit games or suit up 11 walk-ons on both sides of the ball that’s what I’m going to do. If I get fired and lose millions of dollars – so be it. I will no longer have a team divided. Everyone who plays football for this University will focus on the team and being the best team member they can be. So, if you cannot raise your hook ’em horns hands and sing the song, then you need to make plans to leave this University and find a place where you feel more comfortable.
Hook ’em !
The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
All the livelong day.
The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
You cannot get away.
Do not think you can escape them
At night or early in the morn —
The Eyes of Texas are upon you
Til Gabriel blows his horn