Even though it’s the students who will decide if Hays High School needs to replace its Rebel mascot, their parents have opinions on the subject.
Comments in favor of keeping the mascot and changing it were expressed on the Hays Free Press Facebook page; however, three parents who spoke directly to the newspaper were all in favor of moving ahead with a different image for Hays High School.
Though Hays CISD officials have tried to liken the Rebel of today with more of a generic freedom fighter, “It has always been the Confederate soldier,” said Jennifer Price, whose African American daughters will be sophomores at Hays High School in the fall. “I know some people feel strongly we’re trying to change history but that’s not what it is. You can find history in a book, in a class. I don’t feel like our children should have to continue to glorify the Confederate soldier when the symbolism is so negative against the African American community.”
