Texas Black leaders, students denounce UT's decision to keep 'The Eyes of Texas' song

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AUSTIN, Texas — A group of black lawmakers and civil rights leaders are fighting against the University of Texas at Austin keeping "The Eyes of Texas" Alma Mater. They're pointing out a new report which contradicts findings by the university's committee.

Earlier this month, a report has found the song to have no racist intent. A committee of athletes, scholars, and students at UT cleared the song.

"We're denouncing usage of the eyes of Texas as the alma mater at UT," said UT Student, Zion James. The Texas NAACP, Texas Legislative Black Caucus and UT-students are challenging those findings.

UT history professor Dr. Alberto Martinez says the song was in fact, inspired by Confederate General Robert. E. Lee, "I read it and I was surprised it didn't have the kinds of details, specifications that I would expect."

Martinez detailed those findings in a new report which he says is more historically accurate. "We looked at different things. They looked at the origin of that story, I looked at the origin of the song," he said.

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