*An online petition demands that Louisiana State University ditch its “Tigers” mascot, calling it “the most prevalent Confederate symbol in the United States,” according to CampusReform.com.
According to the author of the petition at change.org, the nickname was chosen during the Civil War by “powerful white males” as an homage to the Confederate “Louisiana Tigers” regiment, whose members “were known for their propensity for violence on and off the battlefield.”
The petition’s author, “LaMallori LSU,” adds another reason to object the mascot, saying, “It’s also cruel to cage a wild animal for the amusement of privileged white people.”
“It is incredibly insulting for any African American to have to attend to a school that honors Confederate militantism,” the petition continues. “It is already hard enough to be black at LSU, and these symbols must be changed.”
It concludes by quoting Dr. Charles Coates, an LSU administrator from 1893-1939, who explained the origin of the Tigers mascot in a 1937 alumni newsletter. Describing the school’s initial foray into college football in 1895, Coates directly attributes the team’s name to the state’s Civil War heritage, noting that he found it appropriate because the original Louisiana Tigers were known for “getting into the hardest part of the fighting and staying there, most of them permanently.”
Based on Coates’ explanation, the petition labels the tiger a “symbol of white oppression” that must be eliminated: “We must speak truth to power, and continue to march toward justice,” it declares. “That day is coming, the day when every symbol of white oppression is torn down.”
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