Designing for diversity is crucial to creating inclusive and respectful school mascots. A school mascot represents the spirit, values, and identity of a school community, and it is important that it is inclusive and respectful of all members of that community.
This can be achieved through thoughtful and intentional design considering the community’s diverse perspectives and experiences.
Here are a few key essential points to consider when designing for diversity in school mascots:
Avoid stereotypes and offensive imagery
School mascots should not perpetuate harmful stereotypes or use offensive imagery to any community members. This includes mascots that depict racial, ethnic, or cultural stereotypes and those based on Indigenous peoples or other marginalized groups.
Consider the history and context of the mascot.
The history and context of a school mascot should be considered when designing for diversity. This includes understanding the origins of the mascot, its meaning and symbolism, and how it has been used in the past. It’s also important to consider how community members with different backgrounds and experiences might perceive the mascot.
Seek input and feedback from the community.
Designing for diversity should be a collaborative process that involves input and feedback from the community. This includes school community members and community members from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. It’s essential to listen to and consider the feedback provided and be open to making changes to the mascot design if necessary.
Embrace diversity and inclusivity as core values.
A mascot should reflect the school community’s core values, including diversity and inclusivity. This can be achieved through design elements that celebrate and highlight the community’s diversity, such as incorporating multiple colors, symbols, or imagery representing different cultures or groups.
Schools that have successfully redesigned their mascots to be more inclusive and respectful include the University of North Dakota, which retired its “Fighting Sioux” mascot, and the Coppin State University, which retired its “Eagle” mascot. These schools worked with the community to develop new mascots that were more inclusive and respectful of all community members. (Source)
It is important to remember that designing for diversity in school mascots is an ongoing process that requires ongoing feedback and input from the community. As the community changes and evolves, so should the mascot design.
By embracing diversity and inclusivity as core values and seeking input and feedback from the community, schools can create mascots that are inclusive, respectful, and truly representative of the community they serve.
Here are a few case studies of how educational institutions have redesigned their mascots to be inclusive and diverse:
Stanford University – The school retired its “Indian” mascot in 1972 and replaced it with the “Cardinal” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples. (read more)
Dartmouth College – The school retired its “Indian” mascot in 1974 and replaced it with the “Big Green” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples. (read more)
Miami University – The school retired its “Redskins” mascot in 1997 and replaced it with the “RedHawks” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples. (read more)
Eastern Illinois University – The school retired its “Panthers” mascot in 2007, which had been considered racist, and replaced it with the “Panther” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples.
University of Louisiana at Monroe – The school retired its “Indians” mascot in 2007 and replaced it with the “Warhawks” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples.
Central Michigan University – The school retired its “Chippewas” mascot in 2018, which had been considered racist, and replaced it with the “Mascot” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – The school retired its “Chief Illiniwek” mascot in 2007, which had been considered racist, and replaced it with the “Fighting Illini” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University – The school retired its “Savages” mascot in 2018 and replaced it with the “Storm” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples.
The University of North Dakota – The school retired its “Fighting Sioux” mascot in 2012 and replaced it with the “Fighting Hawks” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples.
Coppin State University – The school retired its “Eagle” mascot in 2018 and replaced it with the “Phoenix” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Sydney in Australia – The school retired its “Redback Spider” mascot in 2020, which had been considered racist, and replaced it with the “Sydney Uni Lions” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Cape Town in South Africa – The school retired its “Ikeys” mascot in 2020, which had been considered racist, and replaced it with the “Ikamva” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Edinburgh in Scotland – The school retired its “Johnny Crapaud” mascot in 2021, which had been considered racist, and replaced it with the “Edi the Lion” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Ottawa in Canada – The school retired its “Gee-Gees” mascot in 2020, which had been considered racist, and replaced it with the “Ottawa Gee-Gees” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Manchester in England – The school retired its “Willow the Wisp” mascot in 2020, which had been considered racist, and replaced it with the “Manchester Mascot” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Hong Kong in China – The school retired its “Pegasus” mascot in 2021, which had been considered racist, and replaced it with the “HKU Mascot” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Auckland in New Zealand – The school retired its “Auckland University Blues” mascot in 2021, which had been considered racist, and replaced it with the “Auckland University Mascot” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples.
The University of British Columbia in Canada – The school retired its “Thunderbirds” mascot in 2021, which had been considered racist, and replaced it with the “UBC Mascot” mascot, which is more inclusive and respectful of Indigenous peoples.
These are just a few examples of international schools that have changed their mascots to be more inclusive and respectful. It’s important to note that this is an ongoing process, and many institutions worldwide are still reviewing their mascots and may make changes in the future.
