UT Austin president responds to Longhorn football players' demands
On June 12, members of the Texas Longhorns football team joined other students and athletes to request changes to the University of Texas at Austin. The demands, outlined in an unsigned, two-page letter, highlight the school's racist past and racially insensitive traditions.
Among the requests were renaming Robert Lee Moore Hall, Painter Hall, Littlefield Hall, James Hogg Auditorium; donating .5 percent of Texas Athletics' multimillion-dollar earnings to Black organizations and Black Lives Matter; and creating outreach program for inner-city youth in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.
"As ambassadors, it is our duty to utilize our voice and role as leaders in the community to push for change to the benefit of the entire UT community," the statement read. "The recent events across the country regarding racial injustice have brought to light the systematic racism that has always been prevalent in our country as well as the racism that has historically plagued our campus."
The players said that while they will still attend practice, training sessions, and games, they will not take place in donor-related functions or recruiting events until their demands are met.
Read more: https://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/06-15-20-ut-austin-president-responds-to-longhorn-football-players-request-for-racial-equality/
Renaming the buildings and donating 0.5% of athletics interview are possible. Creating outreach programs to inner-city youth is less likely. Eliminating the "Eyes of Texas" will create an alum and student backlash.
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