School Board To Discuss Doing Away With American Indian Mascots

TAMPA, FL -- The Hillsborough County School Board is scheduled to take up the topic of eliminating American Indian-related school mascots at its regular board meeting on Tuesday.

Instead of being held at the Hillsborough County Schools Administration Building in downtown Tampa, Tuesday's meeting will take place at Temple Terrace City Hall, 11250 N. 56th St.

Public comment begins at 3:30 p.m. with the business portion of the meeting starting at 4 p.m.

The school board placed the mascot discussion on the agenda after students and parents spoke out at a special board meeting on June 4.

In May, the school district announced that five elementary schools and one middle school were either replacing or altering their mascots featuring American Indian imagery.

These included the mascots for Adams Middle School, Brooker Elementary, Forest Hills Elementary, Ruskin Elementary, Summerfield Elementary and Thonotosassa Elementary.

Adams' mascot is the Warriors; Thonotosassa is the Chiefs; Summerfield is the Indians; and Forest Hills, Brooker and Ruskin are all the Braves.

"The current mascots do not respect every culture and every person in our communities. Using Native American images and mascots can easily reduce living human beings to the level of a cartoon, caricature or stereotype," the school district said in a press release. "Even when there is no bad intent, these images can carry on and spread some of the symbols of the most painful parts of our great country’s history."

The decision was made after consulting an advisory group made up of school parents with an American Indian heritage.

Among the members of the advisory group was Jaymie Perez who said the mascots are offensive to her culture.

"The mascot itself is a caricature," she said. "It has reduced us down to nothing more than a Mickey or Minnie Mouse."

The school district, however, made an exception for two high schools. Chamberlain and East Bay high schools will keep their current mascots. East Bay's mascot is the Indians and Chamberlain's is the Chiefs.

"We believe students at the high school level are better prepared to understand the differences and sensitivities around cultures," said the district. "These cultural details are now part of the learning for students and is the legacy these students are leaving for future students."

Before school ended for the summer, parent advisory groups at each school came up with a list of new mascots. Ballots were then sent home, allowing the students and parents to vote for their favorite.

But at the June 4 meeting students and parents urged the school district to reconsider before the schools go to the expense of re-branding with new mascots.

Among those speaking up was 10-year-old Maggie Ramos, a student at Brooker Elementary School in Brandon.

After learning of the decision to scrap Brooker Elementary School's 58-year-old mascot, Ramos launched a Save the Braves campaign.

"I'm standing up for what I believe in," Ramos told the school board. "I feel like that defines what a Brave is. No one has had a problem with it for 58 years, so why now?"

Ramos argued that the mascot embodies the virtues of integrity and honor. Her fellow students agreed. In a few weeks, she collected 600 signatures on her petition, including the signature of school board member Melissa Snively.

Snively, who noted that the school board had no input into the decision to do away with the six mascots, felt the schools should be given a chance to discuss the issue first.

Her fellow school board members agreed.

"I'm a proud Adams Warrior and a proud Chamberlain Chief," said board member Steve Cona.