Fresno High School unveils new logo, but fight over old ‘racist’ mascot isn’t over

An image of Royce Hall serves as the new logo for Fresno’s oldest high school.

Fresno High School ended decades of controversial tradition Wednesday after unveiling the school’s new logo. While the school scrapped the old Native American logo, it kept the “Warriors” moniker.

The unveiling early Wednesday at Fresno High School was the culmination of a nearly yearlong debate over the school’s old Native American-themed mascot that many criticized as a racist caricature of indigenous culture.

Superintendent Bob Nelson acknowledged many remained unhappy with the change and described the community debate as an “uncomfortable” and “complicated” process.

The vote came to the board because of the movement and conversation that Fresno’s Jamie Nelson, a Yokuts Native, sparked. He said he started a petition in June advocating for FUSD to change the mascot because it’s offensive and degrading to Native Americans, especially since Fresno High sits on the land originally inhabited by Yokuts Natives before white colonizers stole it.

Jamie Nelson and others have also described the old Native American-themed mascot as “racist.”

“If you don’t understand the history, then you can pull up an old clip art garbage, and people will believe it is authentic. So that’s sort of what we’re dealing with. I’m excited. I think it’s a good start,” Nelson said.

Fresno Unified students fought alongside Nelson to push the board to change the mascot. Students also were involved in the design and selection of the new mascot.

Lawsuit seeks to undo board’s decision to change Fresno High School’s mascot

But even as many celebrate the new mascot, the fight over the old mascot isn’t over.

A group of protesters also attended Wednesday’s unveiling, urging the school to keep the old mascot.

“I’m protesting the changing of our Fresno High image from the brave warrior that has been around for 130 years to something that doesn’t represent our school spirit,” Fresno High alumna Kelly Rector told The Ed Lab.

Protesters outside the high school gates held signs and shouted slogans like “education not eradication.” Several protesters said the old image pays respect to Native American culture.

“In 20 years, what kids are going to know what Native American Indian is? We take them out of society and remove their images. Right now, my kids know what a Native Indian is because of the images on these schools. They play with them out on the football field,” said Jim Tuck, a Fresno High graduate and protester said.

After Jamie Nelson launched his petition, a counter-petition was created to keep the mascot by a Fresno High alumnus, Joshua Washburn.

The Fresno High Alumni Association also sent out an email to members on Nov. 10 urging them to send comments to FUSD board members urging them to keep the Native American-themed imagery.

A lawsuit filed earlier this month in Fresno County Superior Court seeks to overturn the school board’s Dec. 9 vote that ousted the decades-old Native American caricature described by many as racist.

The lawsuit accuses the FUSD board of trustees of violating the Brown Act, California’s open public meetings laws.

“... the School Board’s vote fails to provide any meaningful information,” the lawsuit says. “The 6-1 vote makes no mention of what the Fresno Warrior will be changed to, how much it will cost to change the Fresno Warrior, who will be paid to change the Fresno Warrior, or any other factual statement. The School Board’s vote fails to answer the who, what, when, where, or why of how changing the Fresno Warrior will work.”

“The president came out and said she would rescind the vote if there was a Brown Act violation as soon as said we said we were going to file a lawsuit. We reached out to more than 80 attorneys locally, and none of them would take the case because they are all on retainer with FUSD. So they are eliminating any opposition,” Tuck said.

Use of religious imagery during games

While the Fresno High Native American Warrior mascot has been around for 130 years, Native Americans have only been legally allowed to practice their religious ceremonies only for the past 43 years.

Native people were not allowed to practice their religious ceremonies until the passage of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978; meanwhile, students at sporting events could wear war make-up and head dresses.

Jenny Garcia, a Fresno woman and member of the Mono tribe, said when she attended Fresno High, there was nothing in the curriculum that explained Native American history in the Central Valley.

“I don’t understand how they can say it’s an honor when they misrepresent,” Garcia said. “They could mock pretend that they were doing a pow-wow, but Natives couldn’t. It was against the law.”

Native American mascots have been used at schools for almost 100 years. In recent years, there has been a movement to eliminate them because research shows it can negatively affect student achievement.

Data show that Native students in Fresno Unified schools have struggled. About 0.6% of the district’s students were American Indian or Alaskan Natives in the 2018-19 school year, according to data from the California Department of Education. That same school year, about 45% of American Indian or Alaskan Natives did not meet English language arts/literacy standards set by the state’s California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress.

There are about 400 Native American students in FUSD. Many Native American students struggle academically and are chronically absent, Islas said. She discussed finding ways to support Native American students through creating a Native American ethnic studies course.

“The real problem is the lack of knowledge of who we are as people, and I think that’s finally being addressed with the recommendation of an ethnic studies program and a Native American studies curriculum infused in that where they teach about the Yokuts people,” Jamie Nelson said.

Several trustees signaled support for possibly removing all Native American-themed imagery from all Fresno schools. Those discussions could come before the board in the future.

This story was originally published May 12, 2021 at 10:20 AM.