Algood's "Redskin" mascot doesn't need to be changed

Maxwell C. Hamilton - Junior | Opinions

A handful of people have been pushing to change the Algood Redskins mascot, due to concerns about racism and general offensiveness. A Putnam County school board member recommended creating a change committee after being addressed by a small group of Algood citizens, but ultimately nothing came to fruition. This was due to a general disinterest in the change, and since the majority of the student population didn’t support the change.

The change already isn’t necessary for a few reasons, but on top of the unneeded alteration, the total cost of the change would be $70,000 according to school board members.

Roughly 90% of Native Americans aren’t offended by the term Redskin, as stated by a statistic reported by the Washington Post. So, if this is true, why is there a need to change a name students are proud of?

Kim Cravens, Algood district leader, explained that previous Algood Middle School students that are Native American claimed they were proud to be represented by their peers. Receiving approval of the Redskin mascot from a Native American alumni shows very clear validation that the mascot has yet to offend a student with direct heritage.

1500 people from the Putnam County area signed a petition not to change the mascot.

The school board’s decision against the investigation was not made maliciously, and the decision was formed after hours of research and debate. Current school board member Celeste Gammon referenced the Native American Guardian Association’s claim that the word “redskin” is not racist and does not offend their association. The board members also included that Algood Middle School’s mascot, the Redskin, is meant to represent and respect Native American descent.