Colonial Mascot Supporters are Called White Supremacists by White Members of Our Community
The following two statements were submitted and read aloud at the AB School Committee meeting on December 16, 2021
By Julia, an AB Student
Dear Acton-Boxborough Community,
I’m here to discuss my disappointment in some members of this community tonight. I last spoke at a school committee meeting on November 18th, And I was disgusted to see what happened at the following school committee meeting on December 2nd. I watched some of the speeches that some AB community members made and I now feel personally attacked. In response to the speech that I made on November 18th, I was called a white supremacist on December 2nd.
A white supremacist is a very hurtful term used to describe somebody who believes people of the white race are superior to other races. Well this is something I have never been, and something I will never be in support of. To me, it does not matter what a person’s ethnicity is, considering I have many friends and teammates of different ethnic backgrounds than me who constantly treat me with respect and kindness.
I want the AB Community to be welcoming to everyone. However it will never be if we keep treating people like this just because they have different opinions. What hurts most about this is that no one did anything about this when there were literally adults bullying a young girl the same way that kids cyber-bullied that young girl for showing support to keep the colonial mascot. This is incredibly immature and harmful to a 15 year olds mental health. None of you did anything about this.
You tell Acton-Boxborough students that their mental health is so important over anything else and that bullying should never happen, but you watched it happen and thought it was okay. I had to sit through a long advisory lecture about how bullying is wrong and should never happen, but now I know that that was all a lie.
This is all proof that you don’t actually care about the students at AB. You care about the image of this school, about its academics, sports, and how other people view the AB community. You don’t actually care about the students’ opinions. And don’t try to tell me that you do because you are hiding the students’ opinions that have been actively fighting to keep the colonial mascot.
In elementary school, teachers always asked to hear about what I had to say. They asked what I wanted. You are just making assumptions about what the students might be okay with so the school can keep its outstanding image. It’s time that you finally tell the truth. You don’t care!
Part 2: An AB Parent Speaks Out AGAIN
By Lucy, an AB Parent
I spoke last, at the November 18th school committee meeting regarding the bullying and silencing of Colonial Mascot supporters.
After the meeting, I was pleased to receive very positive feedback over the weeks to come. Many thanking my daughter for her courage in speaking up. From people I didn’t know, people we knew a little, and friends that had been there all along the way. We had more supporters then we could have imagined, including teachers from our very own schools!
Their empathy and kindness restored my faith in the people of this community.
The reason why we spoke on November 18th was not to convince the “change the mascot people” to keep it. We spoke for the Colonial Mascot supporters who didn’t feel confident to speak up for fear of being bullied. They needed their voices heard! My job as a parent was to inform Mr. Light and the school committee of what had transpired after the mascot was voted out. To those who took the position to be on the school committee: Your job is to hear all opinions, even if they differ from yours. It’s NOT harassment when members of the community disagree with you.
For those who orchestrated a team to speak at the last meeting on December 2nd. After hearing you speak, I sadly understood what these young mascot supporters experienced over the last year, including the students who started the petition to Save the Colonial. You were supposed to be the adults, but you didn’t act like it. I can see where the young bullies learned from. All I can say is SHAME ON YOU SPEAKERS, for not offering a middle school girl who’s been bullied by high schoolers, not one word of support for what she had gone through. You have no idea how difficult it was to muster up the courage to do that. You could have started your speeches by saying “sorry for her experience, or Bullying should NEVER happen.” Instead, I heard “Why are you hung up on it? Waste of time, You Lost! White supremacist, Bigots! The same insensitive words the bullies used. And then your cheerleaders clapped for you! I’m wondering if Mr. Light thinks it was appropriate for the speakers to insult the people who came to support a student who was bullied? Because if you support that, how do we entrust our kids to you?
Also, at the last meeting, one went on to say, the school committee welcomed public comment, but we all know that an anti-colonial school committee group has no intention of changing their minds after hearing public comment. There is no diversity of thought on our committee. A town vote would be the only fair way to decide our mascot’s fate.
You tried to justify your reasons to remove the mascot, only choosing to see the white, male colonial farmer. Not seeing the local town heroes our mascot was named for. Have you considered redesigning our Colonial to look like the freedom fighter he was intended to be to satisfy those who struggle with his appearance? Was it easier to remove the colonial, create division, and a project that’s going to be costly?
Because I have a current student at AB, I know the general feeling in the school. It is not a small group of alumni supporting the Colonial, but a large group of current students from all ethnic backgrounds. They stand silenced because you continued to label them as racists.
You should take the time to know those you judge because you couldn’t be more wrong.
So, as you ignore the pleas, and move on to renaming the mascot, the ABSEJ kids will probably pick an animal, and try to say that they feel better represented now. But when my daughter comes back next year and says that this animal doesn’t represent her physical appearance, and isn’t inclusive to her, we will have to petition for change, and I would hope she is heard!!!
Thank you for listening
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Julia, you are a great girl with courage to speak out on behalf of Colonial Mascot supporter. I like what you wrote “ I still believe the mascot represents all of us here today. I am a proud American, and my ancestors from Italy were not as lucky to have the freedoms and privileges we have today. It wasn’t easy to leave their homeland, but they came here to give us a better life. They embraced and respected this land, its people, it’s history. We were grateful to be here.“
I am sorry that you were treated unfairly by some people/members. Acton parents and students should stand up to stop/ abolish critical race theory in our school before it is too late. It is poisoning our children. We should cherish the freedom we have.
Kaola, I’m Julia’s mom. Thank you for your kind words. It’s good to know that we have some people who think like us. America is a country of mostly immigrants. I am first generation here so know and understand the hardships of coming from another country and starting fresh. My grandparents were farmers and came here with nothing. Speaking very few words of English, they managed to find blue collar jobs, and worked very hard and long hours to provide for their family. Their older children dropped out of school to help make ends meet. And the same was for my in-laws and all my relatives who came at that time. And they never complained. Julia was fortunate enough to visit their homeland and learn their story. So I am willing to challenge anyone who tries to call any of my family members white privilege. The only privilege they had was to be able to come here. Anything they have now came from hard work and determination. It’s just not right to judge people without really knowing their story, like so many have done.
Some people may think the name ‘Colonials’ isn’t worth fighting for. But if you have any understanding of what it was like for some people who are oppressed living in other countries and leave to make a better life, you may understand our mascot better. If those people who petitioned to cancel the Colonial really took the time to learn about our local heroes that our mascot was named for, they would understand that they ended Colonialism in this country. They fought for ALL people.
Lucy, I can feel your pain and appreciate you and Julia speaking out to protect The American Spirit. I am immigrant and I am the first generation here too. I didn’t realize the freedom and privileges we have until recently. The whole mascot changing thing is the so called Elite people trying to destroy the history of America, trying to divide us and trying to take the peace and freedom away from us. Many people didn’t realize things happening slowly to take our freedom away, from mascot changing to critical race theory, then to vaccine passport and more…..
But don’t despair, light will always overcome darkness. In God We Trust!
A friend who still lives in town forwarded me the article with a “get a look at this” message…
We no longer live in Acton, however my wife’s family lived there for 25 years and we lived there for 20 years after getting married. I am not directly involved or affected by this issue. I shall not weigh in on the issue, but sadly am here to tell you that the character of the town seems to have changed, and not for the better.
I remember Acton as a tolerant town. I am sure there were lots of issues bubbling beneath the surface, but when they did surface a spirited and democratic approach was followed. We now live in interesting times regardless of where one lives. But decency, listening (to understand and not simply reply) integrity and tolerance for others and their points of view are still values we all like to think we practice every day. Frankly, I don’t see a great deal of that with regard to this issue.
I would encourage the school committee members, selectmen and all others to consider that this issue is not a “competition”. Rather it is one that requires thoughtful dialogue, a vote that will put the issue to bed for a certain number of years (5 or 10) with the possibility to revisit then. Times change and no matter the decision now, things change.
And finally kudos to all the young adults who are coming forward to take a thoughtful position – no matter their position. Some of the adults could learn a thing or two from them…
Tony, you make a lot of sense. We need people like you on our school committee. The problem is that the committee has an agenda and they are like-minded so voicing our opinions sometimes feels hopeless. Most of the young adults have given up.
This is not the Acton you remember, unfortunately!