Sexton students pick mascot finalists; alumni to add more options to replace Big Reds

LANSING — After more than half a century of using the "Big Reds" mascot, a term considered derogatory toward Native Americans, Sexton High School officials Wednesday unveiled six student-chosen alternatives and said the wider community will have the opportunity to select other finalists for consideration.

During a community input session at J.W. Sexton High School, Principal Dan Boggan, fighting back tears, said the school he leads has “offended a culture for 80-plus years” and it’s time to move on.

“You're not invisible any more,” Boggan said, acknowledging the Native American community. “If you’ve ever been offended before for your culture, for what you believe in, you understand why we’re here.”

Lansing School District unveiled the first six mascot finalists, all chosen by students: Big Dawgs, Cardinals, J-Dubbs, Saints, Scorpions and Vipers.

Sexton alumni, community members and members of the Native American community weighed in and voiced their suggestions for a new mascot, including Red Hawks, which proved to be a popular option among several alumni.

In the coming weeks, Sexton students, staff, alumni, and possibly others, will add to the initial student selections through a survey. A vote then will narrow the list of candidates to three finalists which students, staff and likely alumni will vote on. A final choice is expected for the start of winter break this fall.

Many of those who gathered for the input session in the Sexton cafeteria acknowledged that moving on from what was a beloved mascot and nickname will be difficult.

“I know that this is a hard change, but all change is hard,” said Roviettiea Lewis, a Native American mother of a Sexton eighth-grader and lifelong Lansing resident. “And I understand the sense of community that comes with the logo of the Big Reds, but just like our people were reorganized and called different things … it doesn’t take your sense of family and community. You will always be Sexton alumni. You’re just going to be the ones that support the change.

“I’m so honored that you finally hear me,” she continued. “And now, you can see me.”

Lansing School District announced plans to drop the Big Reds mascot and search for a new one on July 7. It’s a process supported by an $87,500 Native American Heritage Fund grant, which aids projects to reduce the number of insensitive school mascots, while honoring Native American culture and history.

The final mascot choice will be presented to the district’s executive team and Board of Education for approval. District officials hope to have a new mascot selected by the start of winter break, which begins Dec. 26.

A design for the new logo will take place after that. Community members will have multiple chances to provide feedback during the design process. The final mascot and logo will be unveiled to the public during a future pep rally. Officials expect the new logo and mascot will be fully implemented by the start of the 2023-24 school year.

The school district estimates the total rebrand will cost about $250,000, Boggan said previously. District officials requested a total of $250,000 in their grant request but were awarded $87,500. Gabrielle Lawrence, president of the Lansing School District Board of Education and graduate of Sexton High School, previously said the district would cover any costs not already covered by the grant funding.

The grant also will be used to educate students and staff on Native American culture and to explain why the former Big Reds mascot and logos were “culturally insensitive,” according to a NAHF press release.

District officials said they planned to apply for another Native American Heritage Fund grant next year to provide additional financial support to the transition.

Lansing School District has about 392 Native American students enrolled, according to Ramona Henry, Native American coordinator for the Lansing School District.

Evolution of a mascot

The Big Reds mascot has served as Sexton's nickname since the school opened in 1943 in what was then Central High School.

The Big Reds logo had seen numerous changes over the years, with the latest coming in 2014 when the logo changed from a Native American wearing a headdress to a red block “S” with a 2 in the top right corner.

Sexton’s transition away from a Native American mascot comes after Okemos Public Schools transitioned from its Chiefs mascot to Wolves, and Saranac Community Schools, which chose Red Hawks to replace its former Redskins mascot.

In 2021, Lansing School District also received $47,712 in NAHF funding for a rebranding at Riddle Elementary. Riddle’s previous mascot, the Little Reds, was changed from a bear wearing an American Indian headdress to the Rhinos, named in part after Potter Park Zoo's former black rhino calf Jaali.

Members of the community shared their thoughts on a replacement for the Big Reds Wednesday.

Jim Lovitt and John Caudell, Sexton graduates from 1968 and 1969, respectively, both hope to see the color “Red” included in the new nickname. Both of them supported “Red Hawks.”

“It gives you a tie to the positive history of this school,” Lovitt said. “It doesn’t cut all ties with the old alumni.”

David Washington, a 2012 graduate of Sexton who returned to become a teacher at the school, likes Cardinals and Red Hawks as mascot candidates. The symbolism of Cardinals especially struck him, he said, as they are birds native to North America that symbolize hope, endurance and resiliency.

Several others wanted to find a way to honor Native Americans in the selection of the next mascot.

Boggan said the school is considering placing a plaque at the front of the school acknowledging Native Americans as the original stewards of the land on which the school now sits. According to Lawrence, the Lansing School District resides on “the ancestral lands of the Three Fires Confederacy of the Ojibwa, Odawa and Potawatomi people.”

If the district wants to honor Native Americans, it takes a simple step, Lewis said.

“The only way to honor our culture and our people is to get rid of things like this,” she said. “To honor us is to change it, to tell us we’re important.”

Contact Mark Johnson at 517-377-1026 or at majohnson2@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByMarkJohnson.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Sexton students pick mascot finalists; alumni to add more options