Vestavia Hills Board Of Education Votes To Keep Name, Change Mascot
Vestavia Hills High School has been catching a lot of heat for their name, “the Rebels” and their mascot, a caricature of an elderly Southern plantation owner. Several weeks ago, the public was given a chance to weigh in on the decision to keep the name and mascot or eliminate both. Last night, the Vestavia Hills Board of Education unanimously voted to keep the name, but not the mascot. WBHM’s Les Lovoy reports on why board members made this decision.
The Decision
Last night, approximately 100 citizens attended the Vestavia Hills Board of Education meeting with one thing in mind: the future of their mascot. Sheila Phillips, superintendent of the board, recommended the district keep the “Rebel” name, but scrap the mascot itself.
“Logos change,” she says, “It doesn’t change who you are, it modifies how you are branded.”
Minutes later, the rest of the board agreed, with a unanimous vote to do just that.
Les Lovoy,WBHM
Vestavia Hills Board meeting attendees wait for the decision about the future of the Vestavia Hills Rebel mascot.
The Aftermath
Before leaving the meeting, attendee Steven Craft says he feels the decision is the best option for the high school.
“This is a positive step for inclusiveness, for the community,” he says, “I know there is still concern over the name Rebel, and that’s something we’re going to need to reclaim, especially in the context where we are in the deep south.”
Not all attendees felt the same way, however. Attendee Dean Paul said the mascot was never meant to represent racism or inequality.
“I was part of the student body that chose the Rebel name and the mascot,” he says, “Both of these things were chosen to reflect rebellion. There was no connection to anything shameful about the confederacy or slavery or anything like that.”
Superintendent Phillips noted at the meeting that the process of choosing the new mascot will be comprehensive, and will include all interested parties and stakeholders, particularly the student body of Vestavia Hills High.
Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book
Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir. He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.
Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games
The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.
In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out
Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.
‘It’s like feeling the arms of your creator just wrapped around you’: a visit to a special healing Shabbat
Members of Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham gathered recently for their traditional Friday Shabbat service. But this particular service was different, as could be seen by all the people dressed in their finest pink.
Space Command is coming to Huntsville. What might that mean for first-time homebuyers
While Huntsville has been a more affordable market than other growing cities, what’s it been like for those looking for their first home?
Colorado says relocation of Space Command to Alabama is ‘punishment’ for mail-in voting
The litigation announced by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser asks a federal judge to block the move as unconstitutional.
