Missouri State University is apologizing after its band performed “Dixie,” a song that originated in the blackface minstrel shows of the 1850s, at a site where three black men were lynched in 1906.
SEE ALSO: 30 Percent Of Americans Arrested By Age 23
Interim President Clif Smart said the song was an “unfortunate selection” and won’t be played again in a public venue.
The song was played at a November 18 dedication of Park Central Square in Springfield, a town in Southwest Missouri. A plaque at the location identifies the site as a place where three black men were lynched. The band leaders have stated that they didn’t realize the song would be offensive.
