STEPHENS COUNTY WOMAN WANTS HIGH SCHOOL MASCOT CHANGED

By Ethan Jordan, WNEG Radio, Toccoa

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.

Jesser told the Board of Education that, quote “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 relegates their culture to an animalistic character. This is not dignity. This is not courtesy. This is not respect,” end quote.

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

She added that using Indians as the school’s athletic mascot 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 what she believes is racism.

Board members did not respond to Jesser’s comments and took no action.