Rep. Pallone calls for ban on racist mascots in school settings
Rep. Pallone says he is doing this to push back against the Trump administration’s recent efforts to stop state and local efforts to retire such mascots.
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Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone introduced a resolution calling for the banning of “unsanctioned Native American mascots and imagery in schools.”
Pallone says he is doing this to push back against the Trump administration’s recent efforts to stop state and local efforts to retire such mascots.
“Native Americans should not be reduced to stereotypes and caricatures in places that should be dedicated to learning, respect, and human dignity,” Pallone wrote in a statement. “These degrading depictions are rooted in a history of discrimination that cause real harm to Native students.
Pallone says his resolution is endorsed by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI).
“NCAI and its partners have long called for the elimination of unsanctioned Native ‘themed’ mascots, caricatures, and symbols from educational institutions across the United States,” NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright, Jr. wrote. “These depictions are not tributes — they are rooted in racism and cultural appropriation that perpetuate harmful stereotypes, degrade Native peoples, and cause documented harm to Native youth.”
Pallone’s resolution comes after the U.S. Department of Education said a Long Island school district violated the Civil Rights Act by changing its Thunderbirds mascot to the “T-Birds.”
The district made the change to comply with a New York State ban on Native American imagery and mascots in schools.
