It seems as if there should be room for compromise here, but of course I'm speaking from a removed perspective and as we know, it will depend upon how strident the voices are that drive the conversation.
In regards to the song, I think most can see the actual lyrics are pretty innocuous; it's the context of the song's creation and the ongoing racial disparity (in relation to the
other issues brought up by the student athletes over the summer) that is the fuel to this fire. It seems pretty reasonable to ask for renaming of campus buildings that were named after blatant segregationists, doesn't it? Perhaps a commitment to increasing the African-American student population to be more representative of the overall population?
One thing, they better hope they can come to some type of compromise sooner rather than later. The football program is in a precarious position and Steve Sarkisian's previous tenure as U. of Washington's head coach doesn't illicit great confidence. The likes of Oklahoma, Texas A&M, LSU and many many others are surely hoping this controversy draws out as long as possible. (although A&M's African-American student population at College Station is a smaller percentage than UT-Austin's).
