Ole Miss Athletics Director Ross Bjork announced today that The Pride of the South, Ole Miss’ marching band, will no longer play any variation of the song “Dixie.”
Bjork released this statement Friday:
Ross Bjork speaks about the Creed at the Ford Center in Oxford, Miss., Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014. DM Photo | Cady Herring
“The newly expanded and renovated Vaught-Hemingway Stadium will further highlight our best traditions and create new ones that give the Ole Miss Rebels the best home field advantage in college football. Because the Pride of the South is such a large part of our overall experience and tradition, the Athletics Department asked them to create a new and modern pregame show that does not include Dixie and is more inclusive for all fans.”
The song’s removal is the result of an ongoing dialogue between the campus leadership, band leadership and the Ole Miss athletics department, but the initial request to remove the song was made by the athletics department, Bjork said in an interview Friday.
“I can’t predict (how people will react),” Bjork said.
Bjork said, regardless of the initial reaction to changes, decisions have to be made for the best of the university. He said it was athletics’ priority to be welcoming to all people in accordance with the UM Creed.
“Dixie” was the unofficial anthem of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. The university and Athletic Department have been phasing out versions of “Dixie” for more than a year now.
Members of The Pride of the South were told about the change on Tuesday, Aug. 16. They were told not to speak to the media. Practices this week have not included the song.
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- “I grew up in the South and I’m perfectly happy without [Dixie].” – Peter Reed, professor of English
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- “I feel like with the recent events, it’s a step up for racial reconciliation on campus and it’s a way to kind of get away from the old racial history of the University to come to unity. We’re learning from the past and focusing on the future.” – Jasmine Johnson, freshman, biochemistry major
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- “Well, that’s not fair. I just think people have the right to listen to the music that they want to listen to.” Madeline Mixon, freshman, chemical engineering major
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- “Now that I actually think about it, I can see both sides, but in my own personal opinion, I don’t agree with it. I think it’s an essential part of Ole Miss’ tradition and it’s what hundreds and thousands of fans have heard and loved.” – Cooper Crumpton, freshman, biology major
The Ole Miss community immediately responded to the announcement via social media.
Check back in with theDMonline.com as this story develops. This story was originally reported by Mississippi Today.
Ole Miss won’t allow the band to play “Dixie” anymore. Might be a good time to invest in Confederate flag and “heritage, not hate” t-shirts.
— matt p (@TheBigPahu) August 19, 2016
The Ole Miss marching band will no longer play “Dixie”. To be replaced by Widespread Panics “Porch Song”. Will include 19 minute drums solo. — Blake Eddins (@_BlakeEddins) August 19, 2016
Lets replace Dixie with the Smokey and the Bandit theme song during Ole Miss games. No one would object to that.
— Bunkie Perkins (@BunkiePerkins) August 19, 2016
“Ole Miss isn’t Ole Miss without ‘Dixie’!!!!!” — Two Yards (@TwoYdsandaCloud) August 19, 2016
@OldRowOfficial @Lauren_Southern @thedm_news so why are they still called Rebels? Ole Miss Social Justice Warriors more like it.
— J. (@Le_Jdot) August 20, 2016
I still can’t believe they are still referred to as Ole Miss. To me that’s more derogatory than the Dixie song — John Mitchell (@JZMitchellUTC) August 19, 2016
Ole Miss’ band announced they were going to stop playing “Dixie” which I am very very okay with — K P (@ColstonLateral) August 19, 2016
Ole Miss will no longer be performing “Dixie” because,ya know,racism. But I gotta say thats a great tune in a vacuum https://t.co/wFYqZyyesk — Chief (@BarstoolChief) August 19, 2016
@lcdrrek @docrocktex26 Attended college in the SEC. Ole Miss’ fight song was “Dixie” & their fans waved the rebel flag until recently. — Yolandria_in_LA (@GeauxEllessyoo) August 17, 2016
I don’t know if there’s any sound more beautiful than Slow Dixie played by the ole miss band — Captain Hehe (@heyyobobby) August 12, 2016
Ole Miss band had to stop playing from Dixie with Love because their fans were shouting “the south will rise again” https://t.co/lhKN5MSFHc — Annie Lee (@ALL_Gatorz) August 9, 2016
Watched an old video of Ole Miss Band playing the full version of Dixie and started tearing up.. I can’t with myself — Malorie (@olemissmal) August 5, 2016
