UA Group Wants ‘Dixie’ Out of Alabama Fight Song

A University of Alabama group wants to take “Dixie” out of “Yea, Alabama,” the popular school fight song.

The Delete Dixie Initiative is “a coalition of students, faculty, and friends who wish to create a more inclusive campus culture,” according to the group’s website. “Our mission is to remove the word, ‘Dixie’, from the Alabama Fight Song (’Yea Alabama’) and replace it with a more appropriate term, such as ‘Bama.’”

The group says because of the term’s ties to the Confederacy, racial subjugation and a time of racial slavery and violence, they decided to call for change.

“The University of Alabama considers itself the place where legends are made,” the group’s site says. “We must now decide the kind of legend we hope to leave behind. We are not the pride of ‘dixie,’ or of the ‘Old South,’ but instead, the pride of the state of Alabama. We encourage you to explore the webpage, utilize the resources and action items, and reflect and share.”

As for the fight song, which is sung during football games, UA’s official website states: “Few tunes are more recognizable on campus than The University of Alabama Fight Song. From scores at athletic events to class presentations, the Alabama Fight Song is well-represented in campus culture. This song will give you a sense of pride in your campus and team that you never had before. If you don’t know it yet, don’t worry – you’ll pick it up quickly because it is played after every score at a sporting event, and the Tide tends to score a lot!”

The group calling for change said they are not an official student organization.

“This is not an official student organization that is registered with the University,” the group told AL.com. “Delete Dixie Initiative is a social movement made up of students, faculty, and community members that are advocating for change on UA’s campus. The Delete Dixie Initiative is one step toward changing the culture of our campus and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

Official campus organizations who endorse the initiative include the Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA) and Social Work Association for Cultural Awareness (SWACA).

The group’s website says the term “Dixie” is used “in a direct or indirect reference to the Confederacy and the institution of slavery,” and also references the song, “Dixie,” which was performed by minstrel groups in the 1850s. The site’s home page includes an informational video outlining the initiative and referencing historical context behind “Dixie.”

“The performance was intended to represent a freed Black slave longing to return to the plantation of his birth,” the group’s site says. “Soon after, the song became wildly popular in the south and was used as a Confederate war song. In fact, after Jefferson Davis took his oath of office to serve as the president of the Confederacy, the band played ‘Dixie.’ The term ‘dixie’ grew in popularity between the 1860s-1900s, often used in tandem with the Confederate flag, Ku Klux Klan groups, and other racially insensitive iconography. This was only the beginning.”

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In 2020, AL.com reported the university removed Confederate plaques from campus, a decision made by the Board of Trustees of the UA System, in consultation with UA president Stuart Bell. {snip}

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