The North Carolina State University Board of Trustees has decided to remove the word “Dixie” from its alma mater because of its Confederate connotation.
The board voted Friday to change the wording of the first line of the song. “Where the winds of Dixie softly blow” will be replaced by “Where the Southern winds so softly blow.”
WNCN-TV reports that a letter from Chancellor Randy Woodson said the song was originally written in the 1920s and the word “Dixie” has been part of the song since 1925.
“The University and the larger society have changed substantially in the last 100 years. A growing number of students, faculty, staff and alumni have expressed concerns about the word ‘Dixie’ in our Alma Mater and see it as contrary to NC State’s vision, values and goals," Woodson wrote in his letter.
Woodson said the university has the responsibility to “continually educate ourselves and those who pass through our doors to unite against intolerance, model inclusivity, and advance the dignity and power of diversity.”
