Awhile ago, I wrote about Governor Brown from California signing a law to ban the Redskins mascot from all California schools. At the time, there were still four schools left in the state that used the mascot. Go here for that original blurb. It's at the end of this piece on Lancaster, NY. Also, smash that CalSchoolNews banner for this new follow-up article.
As an update, the time is officially up for those four California schools. What did they choose to do?
Gustine High decided to do what many other schools have done in the last few decades, and opt for identifying as a color or colored animal in place of racism. They are now The Reds, and use a stylized letter G as a logo/symbol. Well done!
Calveras High School has preferred to "stick it to the man" by removing their Redskins name and replacing it with nothing. Sort of. They still use their Indian iconography. This does follow the mandate, but exploits a loophole that pretty much undermines the whole point of the mandate to start with.
Speaking of missing the point, the remaining two schools, Cowchilla and Tulare Union changed their mascots also, per the law. They both identify as The Tribe now, and both unsurprisingly have also kept their Indian iconography.
So, really, only Gustine understood the point of this excercise.
No one believes change will come easy, especially with regards to generations old allegiances to mascots important to adolescent athletics. This is still a step in the right direction, and eventually even the iconography will change.
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