Campaign launched to cancel ‘Dixie’ from Bama fight song

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A campus coalition has formed at the University of Alabama to revise the Crimson Tide’s nearly century-old fight song, “Yea Alabama.”

One of the most recognizable tunes in all of college sports, “Yea Alabama” has become the target of a group seeking support to remove “Dixie” from its iconic lyrics.

First reported by campus newspaper The Crimson White, the Delete Dixie Initiative, which was formed by a handful of UA faculty and students, seeks to replace the word due to its affiliation with southern states during the Civil War era.

According to the initiative, the word holds “ties to the Confederacy, to racial subjugation, to a time of slavery and racial violence.”

“Dixie” has long been used, however, to identify the American South absent any relation to racial segregation or slavery. “The Heart of Dixie” has become one of many nicknames used for the state of Alabama, with it being featured most recently on government-issued license plates.

The issue was first raised in 2013 by Dr. Cassandra Simon, a UA associate professor of social work. She wants the fight song to feature “a more inclusive term.”

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