Houston schools hear EDI call to reconsider MNVA—s owl mascot after tribal outreach

The Houston Public School District—s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee told the school board it has begun work to evaluate the MNVA mascot after surveys and community outreach showed many stakeholders prefer a change. The committee reported that, of those who expressed a preference in the surveys, the majority supported changing the mascot to make school symbols more inclusive.

The committee said the review followed staff and student surveys, and recent outreach that included a visit to Red Lake Nation where district representatives met tribal council leaders, the Red Lake public school and Family & Children—s Services staff. The presenters told the board that tribal leaders and families expressed concerns about the owl imagery and that those conversations helped shape the committee—s recommendation to pursue a process for rebranding.

Why it matters: District presenters said imagery can affect…