From Dixie with Love
 Ole Miss logo | |
| Also known as | "Slow Dixie" |
|---|---|
| Adopted | c. 1980 |
| Relinquished | 2009 |
"From Dixie with Love", also known as "Slow Dixie", is an American song combining elements of "Dixie" and the "Battle Hymn of the Republic". It was created and predominantly performed as the fight song at the University of Mississippi. In 2009, the Chancellor Dan Jones requested the university's The Pride of the South marching band stop playing "From Dixie with Love" at university sports events.[1] According to some alumni and current students, it is now banned from being played in public.[2] This has not been independently confirmed.[3]
History
"From Dixie with Love" was created as a mashup of "Dixie" and the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and started being played in the 1980s.[4][5] Starting in approximately 2004,[1] students began chanting "The South Will Rise Again!" at the end of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" part of the song instead of the line "His truth is marching on."[5] The Chancellor of the University of Mississippi Dan Jones then requested in 2009 that The Pride of the South no longer play "From Dixie with Love" at Ole Miss Rebels football games after fans failed to heed his warnings that he would do so if fans continued to chant "The South Will Rise Again".[1] This continued a trend of the University of Mississippi ceasing to use symbols of the Confederate States of America, and followed their removal of Colonel Reb as a mascot and a ban on sticks being carried into Vaught–Hemingway Stadium, which effectively prevented the waving of Confederate battle flags at games.[6]
The ban was not received well by some students.[6] Prior to an Ole Miss football game, the Ku Klux Klan protested the removal of the song outside the university's chapel; they were outnumbered by counter-protesters and stopped after ten minutes.[7] Jones himself received calls for him to be removed as Chancellor as a result. His contract was not renewed in 2014, leading to speculation that the banning of "From Dixie with Love" played a part of it.[6] The band was still permitted to play "Dixie" itself until 2016, when the university banned that from being played as well.[8]
References
- ^ a b c "Ole Miss chancellor asks band to stop playing song over South chant". ESPN. 2009-11-10. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ^ "Ole Miss Alumni Band Plays From Dixie With Love (we are now banned from playing in public)". YouTube. 2013-11-13. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ Beck, Christina (2016-08-20). "Ole Miss won't play 'Dixie' at football games anymore: What changed?". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
- ^ "Update: Klan plans protest before Ole Miss game; students plan counter-rally". AL.com. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ^ a b "Ole Miss won't play Dixie at football games anymore. What changed?". The Christian Science Monitor. 2016-08-20. Retrieved 2018-02-14.
- ^ a b c "For Ole Miss sports, 'Dixie' is dead". Mississippi Today. 2016-08-19. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ^ "KKK Rally At Ole Miss: Klan Outnumbered By Protesters". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ^ Puglise, Nicole. "University of Mississippi bans Confederate 'anthem' Dixie". The Guardian. Retrieved 2019-02-14.