Ypsilanti High School - Braves Logo Controversy

Braves Logo Controversy

The mascot of Ypsilanti High School has been a source of controversy for over 10 years. In the early 1990s, in response to charges that the mascot was offensive to Native Americans, the first changes were undertaken. The real-life mascot, who dressed up as a stereotypical 'Indian' (complete with mohawk) for football games, was discontinued and a panel for the improvement of Native American cultural education was set up.

In 2004, the school's mascot came under fire again, with opponents of the name being organized by an Eastern Michigan University professor. The School Board set up a committee in the fall of 2005 to look into the issue. After a series of open public meetings, the committee returned a report concluding that due to systemic discrimination, the mascot must indeed be changed. However, the committee was the subject of questions itself, with allegations that the group splintered, and none of the public forums gathered much student input. The School Board, while going over the committee's report, scheduled a final public meeting to be held in April 2006. Garnering a large turnout, the event was held in the school's auditorium, with support for the name generally coming from the student body and the community and opponents coming from academia and the Native American community. Following this meeting, the School Board decided in a in May 2006 compromise decision that the name "Braves" could still be used but the Braves logo could not be used in any athletic activities or school events.

In the Fall of 2006, after a reshuffling of School Board members following an election the previous spring, the issue was brought up yet again. In another contentious and closely divided decision, the Board chose 4-3 to retire the 'Braves' name completely on December 11, 2006. On November 27, 2007, the school board chose Phoenix as the new school mascot, and on March 31, 2008, the new logo was unveiled.