Dixie State University in St. George, Utah, was founded in an area settled by Mormons from the South. The college used to have a Rebel as its mascot and then changed the names of its athletic teams to the Red Storm. Three years ago, the university debated whether to change the same of the institution, but that idea was rejected. In 2012, the university removed a statue called “The Rebels” from campus and placed it in storage. The statue depicted Confederate soldiers and a horse. One of the soldiers carried a Confederate battle flag. Later, the statue was returned to the artist.
Now Dixie State University has changed its mascot and athletics logo again. The university’s teams now will be known as the Trailblazers and its mascot will be Brooks the Bison. Samuel Brooks was the first student to enroll at the university in 1911.
Jordan Sharp, chief marketing and communications officer at the university, stated that “we didn’t invent this identity. This identity emerged from who we are.”
The latest data from the U.S. Department of Education show that African Americans make up 2 percent of the 8,500 students at Dixie State University.
