Manchester dropping Indians for Red Hawks
MANCHESTER – Manchester High School has a new mascot.
The Manchester Board of Education voted unanimously Monday night to abandon the school’s “Indians” nickname and move forward with “Red Hawks” instead.
“We’re proud of the students for all their work,” superintendent Matthew Geary said. “The kids did the research, they presented a thoughtful, cohesive argument to the Board of Education. Our community is evolving. The school system is committed to working on equity, the town is working on equity, so in a lot of ways this is a long time coming.”
Geary said the next step is to engage a graphic designer to finalize a “Red Hawks” logo.
Student activists, as well as others in the Manchester community, have argued that the name “Indians” was insensitive to indigenous peoples, many of whom across the country have spoken out against mascots that reference Native Americans.
About 75 people, including Manchester High students, faculty and alumni, attended Monday’s Board of Education meeting to witness the mascot vote. Of at least 20 residents who spoke during the public-input portion of the meeting, all but a few voiced support for the mascot change.
“This is an opportunity for us to be on the right side of history,” Manchester High teacher and wrestling coach Gerry Navarra said, “and also for our district to be a leader in social justice rather than a bystander to it.”
A group of Manchester High students began the push for a new mascot in spring 2018, circulating petitions and speaking to administrators. In a survey conducted last month, they found that 57 percent of the school’s students supported a change, while only 14.5 percent opposed one.
The students explained their position in front of the Board of Education earlier this month, then hosted a public forum last week.
At Monday’s meeting, Board of Education members thanked students for bringing the mascot issue to public attention and explained why they supported the switch.
“We as a country and we as a people get to say who we hold up and honor,” Board member Jason Scappaticci said. “And in this case, Native American groups have said, ‘We do not feel honored when you do this.’ They have been very clear about this. Ergo, we should not do it.”
Students and faculty surveyed recently were found to prefer “Red Hawks” over “Red Lions.” Community members Monday night offered other suggestions, including “Silkworms,” but the board eventually approved the students’ choice.
Manchester High has called itself the Indians since the 1940s but has deemphasized its Native American logo in recent years, using a red “M” on most of its sports uniforms. Several speakers at Monday’s meeting said the absence of a mascot the entire student body could support left the school lacking in spirit and unity.
“Students at MHS should be able to feel comfortable using our mascot,” student Sarah Waggoner said. “Our mascot should not be something that puts down a certain race. It should be changed to a symbol that our school can support.”
About 20 other Connecticut high schools continue to use nicknames or logos that reference Native Americans.
Alex Putterman can be reached at aputterman@courant.com.
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