Changing Fresno High mascot isn’t about being ‘woke’ — it’s about doing the right thing
Since its founding in 1889, Fresno High School has been located at various campuses. The school that began at Santa Clara and K Street was moved in 1922 to Echo Avenue, near Palm and McKinley, where it remains today.
Similarly, the curriculum has been updated over the years to meet an evolving society. Demographic changes in the student body have occurred as well as Fresno itself developed.
The point is that Fresno High, like most schools, has changed over time. So it is not really surprising that, at this juncture in its existence, the school could undergo a revision of its mascot.
This week Fresno High officially unveiled its new mascot, which is a much-photographed landmark — stately Royce Hall. Out is the Native American warrior mascot that had been used as the school’s image for decades. The team name, “Warriors,” will continue in use.
Why make the change? One Fresno High student who is a member of the Yokuts, a group of Native Americans whose home territory is Central California, led the push to get rid of the warrior depiction.
Jaime Nelson began a petition drive last year advocating for FUSD to change the mascot because of how it offended Native Americans, especially since Fresno High sits on the land originally inhabited by Yokuts before white colonizers took it over.
His change.org petition received more than 12,174 signatures as of Thursday. “The use of generic Native imagery as a mascot has not only caused pain to many Natives in the community, it reinforces archaic and racist ideas about Native Americans as violent savages from a bygone era,” says the petition.
Other Fresno Unified students joined with Nelson to push the Fresno Unified School District board to change the mascot. The board agreed in December, voting 6-1 to get rid of the warrior depiction.
That upset some Fresno High alumni, who have filed a lawsuit against the district. The suit argues that Fresno Unified violated a state open-meetings act by not properly outlining on a board agenda what the mascot vote would involve.
But at the heart of their opposition is a desire to hold onto tradition. Alumni have said the decision to get rid of the warrior mascot is itself racist, and that the image actually helps promote native people.
Changing native symbols
While a judge will determine the fate of the lawsuit, the change in how the culture looks at Native American imagery is obvious.
The professional football team in Washington, D.C. used to be called the Redskins. But pressure by American Indians led the team’s owner to drop the name last year. Now it’s known simply as the Washington Football Team; a permanent name is yet to be chosen.
Before that, a state law in 2016 forced four California high schools to get rid of their Redskin team names, including Tulare Union. It became the Tribe.
Drop the lawsuit
Alumni have deep affection for their high school, so a mascot change can be traumatic. But it is just a mascot. Far more important are the experiences students have while in school, the relationships they build and the learning they achieve.
Native Americans make up a small number of Fresno Unified’s enrollment — 400 students out of a total enrollment of more than 70,000. Yet having to face imagery that is offensive is uncalled for, and can harm the educational purpose of schooling.
The school board chose the path of being sensitive and considerate. That is not being “woke,” a derogatory term used by some in opposition to the change. The opponents would do well to drop their lawsuit and accept the decision.
Decades from now, the Royce Hall image could well be replaced by something else. Schools and culture evolve. What should remain constant is treating others they way we all would want to be treated. When it comes to Native Americans, that has not occurred nearly enough.
This story was originally published May 14, 2021 at 5:00 AM.