North Dallas suburb's school board changes nickname from Coons [Racially Offensive]

Associated Press ^ | March 5, 2002 | A/P Staff

[MeekOneGOP]

North Dallas suburb's school board changes nickname from Coons

03/05/2002

The Associated Press

FRISCO, Texas — The Frisco Fighting Coons are no more.

Some students and parents in the North Dallas suburb had complained the nickname was racially offensive, and the Frisco School Board agreed Monday night, voting unanimously to change the nickname from Coons to Raccoons.

Superintendent Rick Reedy recommended the change.

Of several dozen people at Monday night's board meeting, many were vocal in their desire to keep the nickname the same as its been for 78 years. Some wore T-shirts and had signs in their yards reading, "Don't Rac my Coons."

Supporters said they had never learned to use "coon" as a racial slur and were proud of the nickname, created in 1924 when no one attached any racial significance to the name.

But school trustee Jimmy Gaffney said Monday night that it's time for a change.

"My dad thought it was the greatest thing going, and he is a racist, I'll be honest with you. I never taught this to my children. I don't want them to be a part of it. And I think our children today don't want to be a part of it," Gaffney said.

"I don't see any walls built at our school between our children, and I don't want to start that," Gaffney said.

Coon Memorial Stadium already had been changed to FISD Memorial Stadium. Frisco's water tower will have to be repainted, and T-shirts, bumper stickers and other signs will have to be changed to reflect the new nickname.

Students' reactions varied. "No one has ever said anything, ever, that I know of," said Jenny Forwark, who is white.

But black student LaVaughn Oliver, a sophomore, said, "I have a friend whose grandfather was killed by a Klan member, and he had that etched in on his chest, and it bothered him."

Valarie Blackman, another black student, said, "A lot of what's happening, you have new people moving in who have a tendency to take offense to that, as compared to the people who have always been here."

Track coach Steve Anthony, who is white, told Dallas television station WFAA: "If we're the Powder Puffs and we win football games and track meets, I don't care, that's my opinion. But for the kids to be made fun of, I don't think it's the appropriate thing."

Trustee Jane Whitledge said earlier, "I'm hoping that people understand that using the word raccoon in its full spelling is a way to maintain the tradition."

The superintendent late last week recommended the change, adding, "I feel that all decisions we make must come down to what is right for kids. It's important for students to be able to be proud of their school, and that includes its mascot. If one student is made to feel uncomfortable, that is one too many."

(ap.state.online.tx 0800 03/05/2002 01:36:02 )

[mindprism.com]

OK, who is going to tell the environmentalists we must exterminate all the racoons because they are racially offensive?

Its for the children.

[mikhailovich]

True story:

I know an old black gentleman who is an avid coon hunter. Every time I see him, I ask, "been......hunting lately?"

He says, "yeah, them cooons...... boy day CRAZY man!.....day tear yo a$$ up, boy!"

[Tall_Texan]

If you want to get REALLY PC about it, the "Frisco" part could be offensive to Hispanics, the "Fightin'" offensive to peaceniks and "Coons" offensive to blacks.

The town should change it's name thus making the football team the "Suburban Non-Aggressive African-Americans".

Go SNAAA Go! Go SNAAA Go!

Of course, the anti-SUV crowd might have a problem with "Suburban"...

[antaresequity]

"I have a friend whose grandfather was killed by a Klan member, and he had that etched in on his chest, and it bothered him."

I dont understand this statment. Is it the dead guy that was bothered? or are we to believe there is a highschool student who has a friend that is alive and has "coon" etched in his chest.

Right...lets see a bunch of white guys got tegether 80 years ago to name a high school to piss off the black folks...I think they should petition that the word coon be stricken from the english language and censored from its books as well...then hold hands and sing kumbya

[xp38]

Still mourning the loss of Beaver College

[cake_crumb]

The word "raccoon" has been around a heckuvalot longer than that. If you only look for insulting uses of a word, you will find only insulting uses of a word.

"'Coon" is a contraction of "raccoon"...a word given to us by the Native Americans, who named our fuzzy, crawdad loving friend.

I know "'coon" has been used as an insult. So have "pig", "dog", "cow", "bovine", "snake", "pigeon", "drip", "grunt", "gay" and many others.

Big deal.

[drjimmy]

I had to read this twice to understand what it meant. The kid is referring to his friend having the word "Coon" written on the front of his shirt (presumably a sports uniform), not the friend's grandfather having the word carved into his chest.

[al_c]

Going North from Dallas you encounter the following communities: Richardson, Plano, Farmers Branch, Carrolton, Addison, Frisco ...

But not in that particular order.

[TxBec]

the "Frisco" part could be offensive to Hispanics,

..uh.. I don't get it.

[TxBec]

"ya learn something new every day on FR" bump :)

[TexKat]

Funny, you mentioned Lewisville's Football Team. That was the rival team for Keller, where my son attended and played football. Everytime we had to play at their field, we had to be escorted in and out of the town by police.

But we had fun. Now my son has been in the military going on 10 years. My how time flys.

[cake_crumb]

"the "Frisco" part could be offensive to Hispanics,

..uh.. I don't get it."

I hired a Mexican guy named Francisco to work in the kitchen of a restaraunt I managed. He hated it when I called him "Frankie", so I only called him that when he was getting on my nerves...that probably doesn't help.

I don't get it, either.

[Tall_Texan]

Doesn't matter what it means, just what somebody might *perceive* it to mean. That's the whole point of Political Correctness. Or have you not heard about the Washington DC official who was fired for using the word "niggardly" in its correct and proper form? Or the folks who tried to ban streets sign which read "Slow Children At Play"?

Frisco is probably a word with Hispanic roots. In PC-ville, that's all the stretch you need.

[cake_crumb]

"Coon Hound is the recognized name of several brreds of American hunting dogs used on Raccoons, bears, cougars, wild boar and four-footed game. Generally preceeded by Black and Tan, Redbone, Plott, Treeing Walker, etc. Not likely to be confused with a racial slur"

I hope you don't plan to bet money on that...

[TxBec]

:)

I'm Hispanic and I still don't get it (Guess I'm not PC-minded.) The closest word I can think of is "fresco" or "fresca" which mean fresh.

[MeekOneGOP]

Still mourning the loss of Beaver College

LOL! Thanks for the link. That's a good one. . .

[ZULU]

I don't judge people by color, I judge them by political philosphy.

[Tall_Texan]

There's a famous steakhouse here in Austin named Frisco. It's also a common condensed word for "San Francisco". I don't know what it means either. I'm just saying, it doesn't matter.

Wonder what will happen in another thirty years when high schools are named after rappers and thieves. What would they do if any white groups complained such names were offensive? I'll bet they'll get laughed at.

In fact, there's probably a Malcolm X High School out there already. Wonder if their football team is the "White Devils"?

[11th Earl of Mar]

Correct. Opposite location in the northern hemisphere.