Portland school fears 'Evergreens' mascot tied to lynching

[AMart]

The adoption of a new mascot for Ida B. Wells-Barnett High School was put on pause, after concerns about potential connotations of lynching.

After adopting a new namesake earlier this year, the Southwest Portland high school also wants to ditch its Trojan mascot. A committee comprised of students, staff and community members suggested the evergreens as the school's new mascot.

"Evergreens are characterized by the life-giving force of their foliage, the strength of their massive trunk, and the depth of their roots—in an individual tree and as a forest of trees," Ellen Whatmore, a teacher and mascot committee member at Wells-Barnett High School said, reading from a resolution. "They provide shelter and sustenance. They have histories that preclude us and will continue in perpetuity after we are no more."

But just before the Portland Public Schools Board of Education's vote to approve the new mascot Tuesday, March 30, Director Michelle DePass shared community concerns of an unwanted correlation between Ida B. Wells—the historic Black activist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who documented and crusaded against lynching—and a tree which could conjure up reminders of hanging people with ropes from branches.

Portland school fears 'Evergreens' mascot tied to lynching

Ida B. Wells-Barnett High School wants to swap Trojan mascot for evergreen tree.

pamplinmedia.com

 

[Devils_Advocate]

The adoption of a new mascot for Ida B. Wells-Barnett High School was put on pause, after concerns about potential connotations of lynching.

After adopting a new namesake earlier this year, the Southwest Portland high school also wants to ditch its Trojan mascot. A committee comprised of students, staff and community members suggested the evergreens as the school's new mascot.

"Evergreens are characterized by the life-giving force of their foliage, the strength of their massive trunk, and the depth of their roots—in an individual tree and as a forest of trees," Ellen Whatmore, a teacher and mascot committee member at Wells-Barnett High School said, reading from a resolution. "They provide shelter and sustenance. They have histories that preclude us and will continue in perpetuity after we are no more."

But just before the Portland Public Schools Board of Education's vote to approve the new mascot Tuesday, March 30, Director Michelle DePass shared community concerns of an unwanted correlation between Ida B. Wells—the historic Black activist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who documented and crusaded against lynching—and a tree which could conjure up reminders of hanging people with ropes from branches.

Portland school fears 'Evergreens' mascot tied to lynching

Ida B. Wells-Barnett High School wants to swap Trojan mascot for evergreen tree.

pamplinmedia.com

Ummmm... Ummm... Ummm...

I do not look at a tree and ask who can I lynch today and I doubt many blacks think about lynchings when seeing a tree...

Now if the Mascot came with a rope hanging from a branch saying “ let’em swing here “ while the athletes wore white hoods, then yeah you can utter that is messed up and shouldn’t be allow!

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

Evergreens? They're a Girl Scout troop on the side?

 

[Sunni Man]

Liberal loon mental derangement runs rampant in the Portland area. ...

 

[Hellokitty]

Are they going to cut down all the trees on school property, because if they believe naming the school Evergreens will trigger thoughts of lynchings then the sight of trees would do the same?