SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) - Missouri State University's interim president has apologized for the school's Pride Band playing the song "Dixie" on Springfield's downtown square last month.
Interim president Clif Smart says the song was an "unfortunate selection" that will not be played again in a public venue.
The Springfield News-Leader (http://sgfnow.co/vTvkJA) reports the band played "Dixie" on Nov. 18 as part of the dedication of Park Central Square, where three black men were lynched in 1906.
Local NAACP president Cheryl Clay says there have been complaints in the community about the song, which she says is not appropriate to play.
Smart says the university's band director, Jerry Hoover, was sorry about the selection and didn't understand the significance of the song as it related to the square.
---
Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com