Georgia Marching Band Drops Song From 'Gone With The Wind' For 'Georgia On My Mind'
The University of Georgia marching band has bade farewell to Gone with the Wind.
The Redcoat Band's acting director, Brett Bawcum, told members that going forward, their repertoire will no longer include "Tara's Theme" from the controversial 1939 film.
"Though the tradition has been under discussion for months within the band, the current social climate has highlighted the urgency of addressing it and made me conscious of the message that could be interpreted by delay," Bawcum said in a letter dated Wednesday.
For years, the song had been a mainstay of post-game performances by the University of Georgia's marching band, affectionately named the Redcoats for their uniforms.
The decision to drop "Tara's Theme" had been under discussion for months, Bawcum added, but the "current social climate" — dominated as it is by widespread outrage over police killings of black people — gave band officials a sense of urgency.
