A letter to the Rutland City School Board, calling for the Board to support the Ravens mascot:
We, the undersigned organizations, support the Rutland City Public Schools Ravens mascot and reject any attempt to revert back to the district’s racist former mascot.
We believe that all Vermont children deserve to attend a school district where they can feel safe and supported, and where they do not have to deal with the trauma of racist imagery.
Mascots like the former Raiders mascot, that employ racist imagery, relegate human beings to cartoons and caricatures, and dehumanize their existence, have no place in public education.
We call on the Rutland City School Board to move forward in a manner that respects all Rutland students, faculty, and community members and to take the next step in transitioning to the new Rutland mascot.
If the Rutland City School Board decides to revert to the racist mascot, we call on all school districts in Vermont to discontinue interacting with Rutland City School District for athletics, extracurricular activities, and any other activities.
No Vermont student should be subjected to this racist imagery.
Signed,
Rights & Democracy
Rutland Area NAACP
Peace and Justice Center