As a native and current resident of Jefferson County who is also part of a multiracial family, the fact that a school system in our county has a mascot that celebrates a racist symbol of intimidation pains me greatly. I know from recent conversations as well as from articles in the Madison Courier (written by Southwestern alums) that I am not alone in this pain. 

As Julie Patterson, one of those alums, put it: “The Rebels should not be used as a mascot at any level of school, in any area of the country. The Rebels was the name of the Confederate Army during the Civil War, a war fought between the North and the South over slavery. The Rebel flag used the colors red and navy, and the character of Colonel Reb was designed in 1936 and used originally by Ole Miss...

Whatever the original intent behind the choice of mascots, the name and the use of the Colonel Reb and Confederate Flag imagery is at the very least uneducated, and worst, racist.

Indiana fought on the side of the Union during the Civil War. Madison was an important hub of the Underground Railroad. Those are things to be proud of here in Jefferson County. So it doesn’t make sense to me why we would associate with the South and the Confederacy. I assure you we are not Southern.

Additionally, the Confederate Flag and Colonel Reb character are racist symbols. They were used by the Confederate Army who was fighting for the right of one group of human beings to OWN another group of human beings.

It is a matter of white privilege to get upset and defend the use of these symbols when our black friends, family members, and neighbors are still, even in 2020 after years and years of protest and fight for change, not afforded the same considerations as we as white people are. It is the very least we can do to be supportive.”

If you, like me, believe the time to change this is long overdue, please consider signing this petition, which will be delivered to Mr. Bates, the superintendent of the Southwestern School System. In honor of George Floyd, Breonna Tayler, Rayshard Brooks, and the many, many others who have lost their lives in no small part to this lingering, insidious racist imagery and ideology, please consider supporting what I believe would be a meaningful gesture of solidarity toward our black friends, neighbors, and family members. Thank you for your time, energy, and attention to this matter.