SALT LAKE CITY —
At a university in southern Utah, the nationwide protests against racial injustice have lent new momentum to change a name that many consider offensive: Dixie State.
But the moniker’s deep ties to local history are fueling a backlash at the GOP-dominated state Legislature and showing how difficult change can be.
Students from the fast-growing institution drove hours to gather at the Utah Capitol on Wednesday and urge lawmakers to revive a stalled plan to change the school’s name.
“When people who don’t belong to the university are wanting their voices to overpower ours, it just doesn’t seem fair to us.” Savannah Snyder, a junior studying elementary education, said on the Capitol steps.