Walpole Community Sounds Off On 'Rebel' Mascot, Name

WALPOLE, MA — Dozens of Walpole community members shared their opinions on Tuesday night on the possible change of the school district mascot and name "Rebel." The School Committee hosted the community forum over Zoom where 75 residents signed up to speak.

The forum was proposed after discussions on race and racism in the wake of George Floyd's death in police custody, reignited a two-year-old petition to change the Rebel name. The petition, and many of the speakers pointed out, that the Rebel name holds ties to anti-abolitionists in the 1860s and Confederate sympathizers.

The school used to have Confederate symbols such as the flag and the song "Dixie" present at sporting events, but in 1994 the Walpole School Committee voted to ban the Confederate Flag as a symbol for its athletic teams. In a letter sent to the community last week, the school committee said the flag was removed in '94 "Because of that symbol's divisiveness and connection to certain hate groups. At that time, the Confederate Flag, and not the term "Rebels," was the catalyst for the change," the statement read.

Two petitions have since come into the public arena — one in favor of changing the name and one that hopes to keep the name. The petition to change the name has garnered over 8,000 signatures in the two years it's been active. The petition to keep the name has over 3,000 signatures in the two weeks it's been online.

The forum featured an array of speakers, from alumni and current teachers to parents and community members passionate about Walpole. While more than a handful of speakers voiced their opinion to keep the Rebel name in the district, the majority of the speakers on the three-hour meeting spoke against the name.

Many speakers expressed pride in the Walpole community and focused their three minutes on how the Rebel name reflected or detracted from that pride. Perception of the town from outsiders was at the core of their reflections.

Darley Desamot, a black man and Walpole alumni, said he didn't experience racism in the community but pointed out that being in the "Walpole High School bubble," can limit the perceptions of people in town.

"The problem isn't with people in Walpole," Desamot said adding that it's the perception that the name gives that makes outsiders view the town as racist or intolerant because of its historical ties.

Another speaker, Courtney, also made perception the centerpiece of her speech. Courtney spoke in favor of keeping the Rebel name and argued that while the name has a flawed history, the history doesn't have to define the school.

"We can't change people's perceptions," Courtney said, "Rebel can be reappropriated."

Students, current and former, shared experiences of explaining the Rebel name to other friends and colleagues outside of the town, who associated the name with an affinity for the Confederacy. Former athletes noted how some opponents on other teams wouldn't compete at Walpole games because of the mascot and connotation.

One student, a 17-year-old rising senior at Walpole High School, said he empathized with people who wanted to change the name and distance the district from the name's history, he said he thought the change was premature.

"The Rebel name connects us," the senior said, "Changing the name would be counterproductive."

Almost every speaker brought the spotlight back to the School Committee who will vote on the name on Thursday. The speakers urged School Committee members to keep their words in mind as they vote on either side of the issue.