I’ve been busy working on some diversity and inclusion policies and protocols both at work and within my children’s school system…so I haven’t spent much time on my writing – instead, I’ve been trying to change my immediate community. I’d just like to say for the record, affecting change is HARD and takes a special kind of endurance.

Just the other day Civil Rights Legend & Georgia Representative , The Honorable John Lewis passed away. His lifelong fight for justice and equality is a testament to the continuing journey and we can all learn from the lessons he’s shared by his living his beliefs.

I spoke at my school board meeting on Thursday (virtually), and since I haven’t done so much fictional writing – I thought I’d share my speech instead. Here you go:

“I’m speaking today to call for the removal of the name, image, logo and reference to “Indian” as the sanctioned John Burroughs High School mascot. As I understand it, mascots fall under the purview of the Associated Student Body (or ASB) and if that is the case, I am asking this school board to provide an overall mandate that we cannot have racist and racially insensitive symbols representing our school community; and under this protocol, schools should adjust their mascots accordingly with a non-offensive symbol of their choice.

As the ruling body of the school district, I believe this is an authority this school board has, especially in light of the fact that the school board has fostered a district-wide diversity, inclusion and equity committee to help ensure Burbank schools are environments where employees, staff and students can feel safe and respected as they go about the business of education.  On the district website today there are links to anti-racists resources. There are currently policies being worked on around anti-racism. And in no way can we appear to be consciously trying to expel racism from our schools if we continue to have a human being on the walls of John Burroughs gymnasium as a ‘good luck’ charm and to allow an environment where racist and stereotypical war cries and tomahawk chops are used to celebrate a three-point shot.

We know from the news that the rebranding of mascots is happening from high schools to professional football teams. I am from Washington, D.C. and I remember when Dan Snyder said he would never change the name. Today, he has received unprecedented pressure to become humanely correct, especially in this current climate of civil rights activism and the recent landmark decision by the Supreme Court affirming the Mohegan tribe’s claim to much of Oklahoma as part of a long ignored treaty and the shut down of the Dakota Access Pipeline as it, too, was on tribal land.  

It is easy to say, that this mascot is a good-natured tradition. But there’s nothing good-natured about the use of this particular symbol. In 2005, the American Psychological Association levied a resolution recommending the retirement of American Indian mascots. They said:

‘The use of American Indian mascots as symbols in schools and university athletic programs is particularly troubling because schools are places of learning. These mascots are teaching stereotypical, misleading and too often, insulting images of American Indians. These negative lessons are not just affecting American Indian students; they are sending the wrong message to all students.’ –  Former APA President Ronald F. Levant, EdD

You can go to apa.org and find the resolution for more information on their stance, which is an important one for this body, especially, since the whole mission of the board and the superintendents office is to provide sound education for children.

Just as significant, is what the overall indigenous community has to say about this. The National Congress of American Indians, the oldest, largest and most representative civil rights/advocacy organization for Native American and Alaskan Natives, has waged a campaign since the 1960s against the use of first peoples as mascots:

‘The intolerance and harm promoted by these “Indian” sports mascots, logos, or symbols, have very real consequences for Native people.  Specifically, rather than honoring Native peoples, these caricatures and stereotypes are harmful, perpetuate negative stereotypes of America’s first peoples, and contribute to a disregard for the personhood of Native peoples.’

Since the time the Europeans first stepped foot on this land, Native Americans have suffered gross injustices and down right near extermination. They were in California long before Dr. David Burbank bought land from the Spanish, yet our curriculum pertaining to American history only starts when Columbus bumped into the Bahamas. We know that’s not the case.

We need to do better with representation of all people in our schools, especially our communities of color, and we can start with the very public and succinct action of mandating that we will not have racist imagery as part of our school district brand and remove harmful representative symbols from our schools.

Thank you.”