Colonial Mascot Change Underscores Division in the AB Community
BY MILENA ZHU '22
On October 15, the AB school committee unanimously decided to retire the Colonials mascot. Moments after the decision, many took to social media to express their outrage or support, reigniting the contentious debate.
The push for a new mascot has been prevalent for a number of years. However, it wasn’t until this year when the possibility began to take form. In early June, a “Let’s Change the AB ‘Colonials’ Mascot” petition was created. The removal was considered a first step in making our district inclusive of students of all communities. Our mascot, proponents for the change reasoned, was a symbol of oppression and colonization, representing actions not to be placed upon a pedestal.
In the summer, Acton-Boxborough Students for Equity and Justice (ABSEJ), a group of alumni and a few students focused on bringing social change to AB, was also created. Their efforts began consolidating in July when ABSEJ reached out to the Nipmuc tribe, whose ancestors first occupied Acton land. A representative, Brittany Wally, helped guide ABSEJ’s research and focus. Also around that time, ABSEJ formulated the logistics for removing the mascot and scheduled a meeting with the Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee (ABRSC) last September; they ultimately decided to remove the mascot.
At the meeting, ABSEJ noted the history of AB land, mentioned the number of people who signed the petition, and presented a plan covering the logistics for a possible change. They also included a letter supported by many notable individuals such as State Senator Jamie Eldridge and Educators Committed to Anti-Racism and Social Justice (ECARES). But during the question and answer session, a divide became apparent in the audience. The tone and wording of some questions emphasized certain preconceptions of the mascot. However, regardless of the committee’s thoughts, the removal of the school mascot required larger community input, so ABRSC decided to deliberate the petition again after collecting public comment.
The committee announced that the mascot removal was up for discussion via email. They invited members of the district to submit their thoughts on the issue. However, the response was much more divided than either the school or ABSEJ expected. Supporters of the removal cited instances of racism and discrimination, perpetuated by a mascot that glorified oppression and exploitation. Opponents brought forth monetary concerns and the fear of erasing history, contending that the colonial mascot represented American spirit and freedom against tyranny.
While the email responses remained civil, respectful discourse on social media devolved into name-calling and personal attacks. Many other community members, such as parents and alumni, became involved, turning the student dispute into a community-wide debate. A “Keep the Mascot” Instagram account and counter-petition were created which supporters of the change found to be offensive. As stated by an ABSEJ leader, the petition “gaslit all Native Americans, implying that they incited their genocide. Their message [came across] as ‘they provoked it; they deserved it.’” The social media firestorm became so vicious that some students chose to leave platforms, having received multiple aggressive comments after voicing their opinion.
While social media propagated the extreme views of some mascot supporters, other community members contended that the Colonials offered inspiration to fight against great powers such as racism. An immigrant parent explained that their family had never experienced discrimination in Acton and felt that the mascot change was a solution to a nonexistent problem. They believed that the Colonials’s pros outweigh its cons and viewed the colonists as people who rose up and defeated Britain through “grit, hard work, and sacrifice.” It was an inspirational story, “especially [to] those who want to change the current racism and divide in the world,” they assert.
Another opponent of the change, an Acton native, grew up with stories of bravery featuring Actonians like Isaac Davis, Abner Hosmer, and James Hayward. He had taken the colonists’ story to heart, using its inspiration as a guiding force during his twenty-six years of Navy service. To him, ABSEJ’s arguments about the symbol’s “whiteness” and “maleness” made him wonder if gender and skin tone should be the deciding factors as to whether or not a mascot is representative of a community. He came to the conclusion that “the Colonial represents a quality that binds communities of all diverse backgrounds together: that quality of working together, even at great risk, to achieve a greater goal for that community.”
In spite of the many adversarial opinions, the change was passed with little opposition. Right before the email deadline, advocates for the mascot, prompted by a last-minute post from the “Keep the Mascot” Instagram account, flooded the school committee’s inbox with emails containing only a subject line saying “keep the mascot.” Their petition was also never presented to the committee and, thus, was never taken under official consideration.
The leaders of ABSEJ believe that their opponents’ failure was partly due to their undedicated supporters. Although many expressed their displeasure on ABSEJ’s posts, most never showed up to meetings to discuss their views. And while ABSEJ felt that every step they took had been thoroughly researched and calculated, their opposers focused on nostalgia-bait and social media comments. Even so, miscommunication hindered their efforts as many of their key concerns, such as the financial burden, had already been addressed. ABSEJ argued that opponents of the change lacked preparation and awareness of the situation, creating a disconnect between their initiative and their supporters.
For ABSEJ, despite their success, the experience was very disheartening as there was so much resistance against this small step to greater change. The mascot change has revealed a great schism in our community, the product of a politically divisive time. Knowing this, student opinions and actions are more important than ever. Many of us have sat complacently on issues we believe in, lulled by the consistent nature of Acton politics. The vehemence resulting from the debate has shown us our faults. To see the change we want in this community, we need to act upon it.
The mascot removal acts as inspiration for us students, empowering us to push either for reform or preservation of the community we hold dear.
The push for a new mascot has been prevalent for a number of years. However, it wasn’t until this year when the possibility began to take form. In early June, a “Let’s Change the AB ‘Colonials’ Mascot” petition was created. The removal was considered a first step in making our district inclusive of students of all communities. Our mascot, proponents for the change reasoned, was a symbol of oppression and colonization, representing actions not to be placed upon a pedestal.
In the summer, Acton-Boxborough Students for Equity and Justice (ABSEJ), a group of alumni and a few students focused on bringing social change to AB, was also created. Their efforts began consolidating in July when ABSEJ reached out to the Nipmuc tribe, whose ancestors first occupied Acton land. A representative, Brittany Wally, helped guide ABSEJ’s research and focus. Also around that time, ABSEJ formulated the logistics for removing the mascot and scheduled a meeting with the Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee (ABRSC) last September; they ultimately decided to remove the mascot.
At the meeting, ABSEJ noted the history of AB land, mentioned the number of people who signed the petition, and presented a plan covering the logistics for a possible change. They also included a letter supported by many notable individuals such as State Senator Jamie Eldridge and Educators Committed to Anti-Racism and Social Justice (ECARES). But during the question and answer session, a divide became apparent in the audience. The tone and wording of some questions emphasized certain preconceptions of the mascot. However, regardless of the committee’s thoughts, the removal of the school mascot required larger community input, so ABRSC decided to deliberate the petition again after collecting public comment.
The committee announced that the mascot removal was up for discussion via email. They invited members of the district to submit their thoughts on the issue. However, the response was much more divided than either the school or ABSEJ expected. Supporters of the removal cited instances of racism and discrimination, perpetuated by a mascot that glorified oppression and exploitation. Opponents brought forth monetary concerns and the fear of erasing history, contending that the colonial mascot represented American spirit and freedom against tyranny.
While the email responses remained civil, respectful discourse on social media devolved into name-calling and personal attacks. Many other community members, such as parents and alumni, became involved, turning the student dispute into a community-wide debate. A “Keep the Mascot” Instagram account and counter-petition were created which supporters of the change found to be offensive. As stated by an ABSEJ leader, the petition “gaslit all Native Americans, implying that they incited their genocide. Their message [came across] as ‘they provoked it; they deserved it.’” The social media firestorm became so vicious that some students chose to leave platforms, having received multiple aggressive comments after voicing their opinion.
While social media propagated the extreme views of some mascot supporters, other community members contended that the Colonials offered inspiration to fight against great powers such as racism. An immigrant parent explained that their family had never experienced discrimination in Acton and felt that the mascot change was a solution to a nonexistent problem. They believed that the Colonials’s pros outweigh its cons and viewed the colonists as people who rose up and defeated Britain through “grit, hard work, and sacrifice.” It was an inspirational story, “especially [to] those who want to change the current racism and divide in the world,” they assert.
Another opponent of the change, an Acton native, grew up with stories of bravery featuring Actonians like Isaac Davis, Abner Hosmer, and James Hayward. He had taken the colonists’ story to heart, using its inspiration as a guiding force during his twenty-six years of Navy service. To him, ABSEJ’s arguments about the symbol’s “whiteness” and “maleness” made him wonder if gender and skin tone should be the deciding factors as to whether or not a mascot is representative of a community. He came to the conclusion that “the Colonial represents a quality that binds communities of all diverse backgrounds together: that quality of working together, even at great risk, to achieve a greater goal for that community.”
In spite of the many adversarial opinions, the change was passed with little opposition. Right before the email deadline, advocates for the mascot, prompted by a last-minute post from the “Keep the Mascot” Instagram account, flooded the school committee’s inbox with emails containing only a subject line saying “keep the mascot.” Their petition was also never presented to the committee and, thus, was never taken under official consideration.
The leaders of ABSEJ believe that their opponents’ failure was partly due to their undedicated supporters. Although many expressed their displeasure on ABSEJ’s posts, most never showed up to meetings to discuss their views. And while ABSEJ felt that every step they took had been thoroughly researched and calculated, their opposers focused on nostalgia-bait and social media comments. Even so, miscommunication hindered their efforts as many of their key concerns, such as the financial burden, had already been addressed. ABSEJ argued that opponents of the change lacked preparation and awareness of the situation, creating a disconnect between their initiative and their supporters.
For ABSEJ, despite their success, the experience was very disheartening as there was so much resistance against this small step to greater change. The mascot change has revealed a great schism in our community, the product of a politically divisive time. Knowing this, student opinions and actions are more important than ever. Many of us have sat complacently on issues we believe in, lulled by the consistent nature of Acton politics. The vehemence resulting from the debate has shown us our faults. To see the change we want in this community, we need to act upon it.
The mascot removal acts as inspiration for us students, empowering us to push either for reform or preservation of the community we hold dear.