Stephens County woman urges that Stephens County High School’s mascot is changed

A Stephens County woman is requesting the Stephens County Board of Education consider changing Stephens County High School’s mascot.

On Tuesday, during the Board of Education’s regular scheduled meeting, Jennie Jesser spoke out saying the Indian mascot reinforces racist stereotypes.

She says the mascot does not respect Native American culture and contradicts the school system’s mission statement.

“It is my concern that the children of this community are being subjected to and taught that casual and explicit racism by the use of the Indian for a high school mascot. In the Stephens County School System Mission Statement, it says ‘we believe all individuals are valued and treated with dignity, curtesy and respect,’ but what about dignity and respect for the indigenous community. The indigenous people have suffered atrocities and genocide throughout this country’s history.  Using cheers at games like ‘scalp ‘em,’ doing war whoops and tomahawk chops, referring to our pep rally as the Red Rage, and calling our campus the Reservation, belittles an entire race of people who have already suffered enough and relegate their culture to an animalistic character. This is not dignity. This is not curtesy. This is not respect,” she said.

Jesser continued to explain that Native Americans have spoken out in the past about sports teams appropriating Native American likeness and images for mascots.

She says this perpetuates harmful stereotypes and sends a message that racism is okay in Stephens County.

She says just because the mascot has been in place for 40 years is not a good enough reason to continue to promote this type of racism.

Following Jesser’s comments no action was taken.