Racism in Marin County, CA 2001

Published on Wednesday, February 21, 2001
© 2001 The Press Democrat

CHRIS SMITH
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

TOMALES -- Student protesters at rural Tomales High staged a half-day demonstration Tuesday, returning to class after district officials announced that trustees will reconsider last week's vote to eliminate ``Braves'' as the school's team name and mascot.

The protest, which at its height involved more than 100 of the school's 275 students, reflected the passion the dispute has generated within the vast Shoreline Unified School District that spreads from Point Reyes to Jenner.

``We'll play only as the Braves,'' said a defiant Ashley Miller, a member of Tomales High's girls' basketball team, from the protest at the school entrance on Petaluma-Tomales Road.

Many Tomales High students began planning a protest last weekend, and teachers and parents alike flooded trustees with phone calls after the board voted 4-2 on Friday to no longer call the school's sports teams the Braves.

The vote, taken before a small crowd, culminated an approximately 18-month-old debate by students and administrators over whether the name and the school's logo -- the profile of an Indian man wearing a feathered headband -- might be regarded as racist to Native Americans.

School board President Clairette Wilson, who voted with the majority, said she appreciates the 50-year tradition of the name Braves at Tomales High, but thinks it is important to honor the feelings of people who believe it's offensive.

As about two dozen students stood their ground Tuesday morning, ignoring warnings from administrators, Superintendent Stephen Rosenthal met with representatives of the school board and the school's booster club.

Shortly after noon, word reached the demonstrators that the trustees will invite a full discussion of the issue at a special meeting to occur within about a week to 10 days.

The meeting date will be announced this morning.

Rosenthal, who said he will not punish the students who cut class Tuesday to protest, said he's hopeful the school board and the community will find a compromise to resolve the issue.

The possibilities may include retaining Braves as the name of the high school's teams, but changing the school emblem: currently a profile of an Indian man wearing a feathered headband.

School board member Elaine Jensen said she can imagine a community agreement to keep the Braves name but adopt a new mascot and school symbol that no one would regard as undignified or offensive.

Several of the students in the protest said the name and the Indian-head logo always were intended to honor the Tomales area's Native American heritage.

``We don't run around with face paint or tomahawks or anything like that,'' said senior Ernie Spaletta, an athlete who served as captain of the school's varsity football team.

The word Braves ``signifies honor and strength,'' said sophomore Steffany Furia. She said that with their vote Friday, trustees ``are making a big deal about something that's supposed to symbolize good stuff.''

A few students at Tomales High supported the school board's action, advocating that it is time for the school to accept that its team name might be viewed as stereotyping, and to find a new name.

Student Alex Kaplan said 188 students signed his petition protesting the board action.

Trustee Spirito Ballatore, who missed last Friday's meeting because of the memorial for a late friend, said Tuesday the name Braves is part of an athletic tradition at Tomales High that encourages students to play hard, respect their opponents and be proud of their school. ``I don't see how that is mocking at all to people of Indian heritage,'' he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Chris Smith at 521-5211 or e-mail csmith@pressdemocrat.com.

PHOTO: 2 color by Kent Porter/Press Democrat
1: Tomales High School senior Ernie Spaletta listens to Marin County Sheriff's deputy Rich Shelden, who gave students a directive not to block or stand in the road to the high school Tuesday afternoon during a protest over the school board's decision to drop the Braves name and mascot.
sign outside the gym entrance Tuesday, will be reconsidered after an outcry from students.