The Missouri Waltz has been the state song of Missouri since 1949 and is often associated with the University of Missouri and its marching band, Marching Mizzou. This song was originally a minstrel song, written for white musicians who performed racist music in blackface. The original lyrics to the Missouri Waltz are full of racist stereotypes and racial slurs. Although the lyrics have been updated to remove the slurs, they still refer to longing for “Dixie” which has historically problematic connotations. While Marching Mizzou does not utilize the lyrics to the Missouri Waltz in their performances, this piece should not be performed to such a wide audience, especially since most people are unaware of its historical context. 

Eliminating the Missouri Waltz from Marching Mizzou’s performances will not eliminate the systematic racism found at Mizzou and other institutions, but instead would serve as a step towards efforts to learn from history and make changes instead of ignoring history in favor of a song with a harmful and racist past. 

Links to lyrics and history of the Missouri Waltz:

https://www.netstate.com/states/symb/song/mo_mo_waltz.htm​

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_Waltz