The school committee in Pittsfield, Massachusetts has voted to retire Taconic High School’s use of the name “Braves” for its sports teams and mascot.
The 5-1 vote to stop using both the name and the accompanying image of a Native American came Wednesday night. School committee chair Katherine Yon says the move came out of a discussion about social justice, equity, and inclusion.
“Some people view this as an anti-racist measure, and we have recently adopted an anti-racism resolution," Yon told WAMC. "And if I remember that evening that we adopted that, there were some people on the committee who made it very clear that our words are meaningless unless they’re accompanied by actions. So, this was an action we could take.”
Mayor Linda Tyer tells WAMC she backs the move, saying it should have happened a long time ago. The Pittsfield school committee voted to celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day in place of Columbus Day in 2018.
