In a message sent to members of the Freeman community today, Principal John Marshall wrote, “It is clear that now is the time to retire the ‘Rebels’ mascot, to leave it as a part of our history and not carry it into our future.” This is an unequivocal win for this cause we started three years ago. Finally, this symbol of racism and hate is to be removed from our school. The fight is not over, and there’s still much to be done in the school, the state, and the world at large to defeat racism. The fight does not and can not end with the removal of a symbol—be it the Rebel name or the monument avenue statues. Still, this is a moment to celebrate, and to congratulate yourselves on the work you’ve done. We fought hard, and in the end, the side of justice won out. Thank you so much for being a part of this fight. Keep up the good work, now and forever. Signing off for now, Conor Battle