Mascot Talks

The name Confederates or "Feds" is officially being retired.

Caledonia's sports teams will have a new name..

Thank you for joining us..

The name confederates...or "feds" is officially being retired... at today's school board meeting, members voted unanimously to adopt a new nickname and mascot... this comes after dozens of parents and community members voiced their concerns about what the nickname portrays.

Our quentin smith was at today's meeting and joins us live with more from today's decision scott, caledonia was first given the nickname "the confederates" back in 1957.... now the school will have a name change for the first time in more than 60 years...and they'll have 60 days to decide what that name will be.

With the raising of their right hands.... the five-member board made the highly anticipated vote to do away with the name...caledonia confederates" "i'm excited, i'm really excited this was a long time coming."

"i'm happy i feel like they acted responsibly, they listen to us, and they did the right thing."

Amanda neilson has been advocating for this change for more than a month... she organized the group "unify caledonia" in an effort to have the name removed "as i looked into this whole thing, it became apparent that black members of the community have been asking for these changes for at least 40 years, and nothing has been done."

Nielson has two kids in the school district.

While her kids are having good experiences at the school, she knows that's not the case for everyone, including her neighbor and recent caledonia graduate naterika shellman.

She believes the name confederates should have been retired years ago.

" now i know the school is taking forward to address the problem, so it'll be better for my younger brother who won't have to go through the same thing as i went through or have to wake nor the same things that i've had to ignore."

" i myself have seen a sort of self- segregation that seems to have happened between the towns in my area, and the name seems to contribute to that.

As i talk to people, they feel intimidated by the name, so that's not appropriate for school mascot, it's time to change that."

The process to determine what's next is now underway.

The principal, student body, community members, and alumni now have 60 days to decide on a new name and mascot then present it to the board to make a vote.

" if we decide what the mascot is in this room, we may pick something that's not indicative of what the community represents, so we want them to do it.

I want to say, i don't think the mascot and the community views it as racist at all.

I have been in that community my entire life, i don't see anything racist going on, it's just some people outside looking in viewing it that way, and it's just time to change that stance."

The new name and mascot will be presented to the board in september... and will take effect immediately following the board's vote reporting live in caledonia.

Quentin smith.

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