RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN)- The N.C. State Board of Trustees voted Friday to remove a word from the school’s alma mater for its Confederate connotation.
The North Carolina State University Alma Mater begins with “Where the winds of Dixie softly blow.”
It will now read:
“Where the Southern winds so softly blow“
A letter from Chancellor Randy Woodson said the song was originally penned in the 1920s and the word “Dixie” has been part of the song since 1925.
Woodson said, “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.”
In response, Woodson said the Alumni Association Board of Directors formed an executive task force to review the Alma Mater last year.
The task force recommended removing “Dixie” and replacing it with a geographical reference. The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the recommendation.
Woodson said while traditions remain an important part of N.C. State, they have to reflect who the university is today and what it hopes to achieve.
The chancellor 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.”
Woodson said in his letter that the change was the right thing to do.