Music Title Quotes
The song glorified plantation slavery and was insulting to many modern Virginians including some legislators. See {590370}. It became the State Song in the 19th century when Virginia itself was much more racist than it was in 1997. However, the racists in the state wanted to keep the old traditional song. They were joined by Virginia cultural sentimentalists and historical preservationists causing the legislature a dilemma. By an act of the legislature the song was “retired” so that it would never be played or sung at official state functions and yet it was recognized as a cultural part of Virginia’s history.
