wako news
There is a movement by some lawmakers in Springfield to pass legislation that could require state high schools to adopt new mascots. A bill which calls for public K-12 schools with names, logos or mascots containing Native American tribes or aspects of Native American culture to change them. It is sponsored by state representative Maurice West of Rockford. He says research shows that mascot names such as Warriors, Indians and Braves adversely affects Native American youth and their learning ability. He added that school mascots are supposed to foster school pride and create a strong school community, but they do not. If the legislation passes and becomes law, schools would not have to change their mascots immediately. They would have a period until September 1st of 2027 to make the changes. The bill would only impact public K-12 schools in the state. It would not cover the University of Illinois nickname--the Fighting Illini.
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