CARPINTERIA, California (March 16, 2009) – On Tuesday, March 17, the school board of Carpinteria, California will meet to vote whether or not to rescind their own 2008 decision to remove all imagery that stereotypes Native American peoples from Carpinteria High School. The town of Carpinteria is staging the meeting in such a way as to intimidate the Native people choosing to participate. (photo of Eli Cordero by Paul Wellman)
Details: Carpinteria votes on reinstatement of racist mascot by AIM-West
Update: Last night, the school board of Carpinteria voted 3-2 to retain the mascot. The nearly three-hour-long meeting was heated, and at one point was interrupted by violence just outside the building's entrance. At the time of this writing, details of this incident were unknown. As soon as the board's decision was announced, opponents of the mascot promised, "We will be back."
Carpinteria votes on reinstatement of racist mascot