Denver South High School Retires Rebels Mascot, Announces Replacement

DENVER (CBS4) - Denver South High School announced a new mascot on Friday. In a letter to students and families, Principal Bobby Thomas said the high school replaced the Rebels mascot with the Ravens.

South High School has had the same mascot for nearly a century, since the school was founded in 1926.

"The Rebels is a reference to the southern Confederacy in the Civil War," stated Thomas in the letter. "Nearly 100 years after the school's founding, the Rebels no longer seems appropriate, acceptable, or an accurate representation of what South stands for or should reflect in its mascot. For this reason, the leadership at South determined that the mascot should be updated to better represent the school's values."

Leadership at the high school spent six months working with focus groups consisting of athletes, coaches, PTSA, board members and staff. Students, parents and alumni also took part in surveys to help select a new mascot name.

South High School received nearly 1,000 responses to the survey. The school created a mascot selection committee consisting of alumni board members, student leaders, athletic coaches, musical art sponsors and a Denver City Council representative.

The committee selected the Ravens as the school's new mascot.

"We believe that the Ravens represent the South community in a number of ways," stated Thomas. "Ravens are smart, clever birds that are known to be strategic problem solvers. They are empathetic, loyal creatures that form lifelong bonds. And importantly, the raven is an inclusive animal -- it has a long history of being held in high regard both in Native American culture and others throughout the world, and ravens are not associated with any particular gender or race."

South High School plans to present its new logo in the coming weeks.