Free Republic

AUSTIN (KXAN/Texas Tribune) — The Texas chapter of the NAACP, along with the civil rights organization’s University of Texas at Austin chapter and a group of anonymous students, has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights alleging UT Austin is creating a “hostile environment” for Black students by continuing to play the “The Eyes of Texas” alma mater song at university events. The complaint, filed Friday morning, alleges Black students have been denied full benefits of Longhorn student life, because the song is an official part of the university, “despite its racially offensive origin,...

A group of University of Texas at Austin students are suing the school for creating a 'hostile environment' by forcing members of its marching band to play in a separate group because they refuse to play the school's spirit song, 'The Eyes of Texas', at football games. 'The Eyes of Texas' was first sung in 1903 at a student-organized minstrel show, a popular form of entertainment in the early 20th century that featured white performers in blackface, in downtown Austin. It's been a source of campus-wide debate for more than a year after a summer of Black Lives Matter protests...

The sickening gang rape of an 11-year-old girl - which may have involved up to 28 boys and men - threatens to divide a U.S. community and flare racial tension in the region. As more shocking details emerge of the prolonged sexual assault in Cleveland, Texas, it has been revealed that all 18 suspects charged so far are African-American and the victim is Hispanic. Police, prosecutors and defence attorneys have said more people may be linked to the assault, as the victim herself - who cannot be named because she is a minor - says that at least 20 people...