Bellefonte’s ‘Red Raider’ name debate draws huge response, with discussion to continue Wednesday
Two weeks ago, the Bellefonte Area School District Board of Directors voted 8-1 to retire the controversial “Red Raider” logo, but the debate over renaming is ongoing.
In a virtual special meeting on Tuesday, more than 100 residents — alumni, current students, district families, employees and taxpayers — gave input on how the board should move forward with the name that represents the district. The motion under consideration proposes the board retain the “Red Raider” and that the district form a committee to work with a school branding specialist to create an official branding guide.
Expressing concern over the potential costs of rebranding and worries about erasing history, the majority of speakers — more than 70 — voiced opposition to change. But at least 35 attendees said the “Red Raider” misrepresents Native Americans and promotes racist stereotypes and should not represent Bellefonte, which is a predominantly white school district.
After five hours of public comment, the board unanimously voted to recess until 6 p.m. Wednesday to continue the conversation and take a vote. Those who previously registered are asked to use Tuesday’s Zoom link to join the continuation meeting. For questions, contact publiccomment@basd.net.
The “Red Raider” has a long history in the district and has not been without controversy through the years. According to Bellefonte Area School District’s website, the Red Raiders were first introduced to the district in 1936, after a Centre Daily Times reporter referred to the team that way a year earlier. Chief Okocho, a costume depicting a Native American and worn by students at activities such as athletic events, was introduced as the district’s mascot in 1984, according to BASD. It was “reportedly removed due to its insensitive appearance and poor representation of Native Americans” in the early 1990s.
In 2015, the school made its Native American symbol a secondary logo, replacing it with a red block letter “B.”
The most recent debate began in June, when a group of BASD alumni began to circulate an online petition in support of replacing the mascot with something not hostile or stereotypical toward Native Americans. Nearly 6,000 community members have signed. A counter petition to keep the logo quickly sprung up and has been signed by almost 5,000 people who argue the Red Raiders teach Native American history and show respect to indigenous people. A “Keep the Bellefonte Logo” Facebook group also has thousands of members.
Earlier this month, the board approved a motion to retire Native American imagery used throughout district buildings within one year, unless costly repair or maintenance is needed to fulfill replacement.
This story was originally published April 28, 2021 at 9:17 AM.
