An online petition claims that Louisiana State University's “Tigers” mascot "honors Confederate militantism" and is symbolic of white oppression.
According to Campus Reform, the anonymous author — known only as “LaMallori LSU” — of a semi-literate petition called "Change the Racist Mascot of LSU!" claims that the nickname was chosen by “powerful white males” as an homage to a Confederate regiment from the Civil War known as the “Louisiana Tigers.” They “were known for their propensity for violence on and off the battle field [sic].”
“It is incredibly insulting for any African American to have to attend to [sic] a school that honors Confederate militantism,” LaMallori LSU declares. “It is already hard enough to be black at LSU, and these symbols must be changed.” The petition does not specify why it's "hard enough" to be black at LSU, probably because there's no evidence for it. Also, no one "has" to attend LSU; students choose to go there.
"Louisiana State University named their [sic] mascot the Tigers, and they [sic] named it during the height of Jim Crow South," the petition continues. "This was a time when black men feared for their lives, and were treated as sub human [sic]. This symbol is the most prevalent confederate [sic] symbol in the United States." [Bold emphasis in original] Who knew that a tiger, and not the Confederate flag, is the most prevalent symbol of the Confederacy?
As if that weren't enough, the author adds that “it’s also cruel to cage a wild animal for the amusement of privileged white people” who have “never been in a cage!” So, only privileged white people go to zoos or to LSU football games? We suspect "LaMallori LSU" wants to remain anonymous because he's an idiot.
The petition cites Dr. Charles Coates, an LSU administrator from 1893-1939, who explained the origin of the mascot in a 1937 alumni newsletter. Campus Reform has the details:
Describing the school’s initial foray into college football in 1895, Coates does in fact directly attribute 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.”
Moreover, Coates recounted, the selection fit in with the contemporary custom of naming football teams after “vicious animals,” such as the Yale Bulldogs and the Princeton Tigers.
Therefore, the petition notes, the school's mascot has always had racist roots and is a “symbol of white oppression.”
“We must speak truth to power, and continue to march toward justice,” it reads. “That day is coming, the day when every symbol of white oppression is torn down.”
The petition currently has a tepid 495 signatures and numerous comments slamming the whole idea. “LaMallori LSU” updated the page with a semi-literate response titled “Symbol of Hate,” which reads, “People are posting this in defiance, and posting many things which shows [sic] there [sic] racism. It’s these actions that let me know I’m doing the right thing.”
