It’s a damn shame that in 2020 we have to explain to people what’s considered racists and unacceptable to black people.
Over the weekend, Twitter reacted to a Texas high school’s mascot, the “Cotton Pickers.”
On Friday, KIII sports reporter Chris Thomasson tweeted a video of the Robstown High School football team taking the field for their season-opening game against the London High School Pirates in suburban Corpus Christi.
Thomasson tweeted, “The Robstown Cotton Pickers come out before their season opener against London tonight.”
The tweet caught a lot of people’s attention, and many were stunned that the name still exists. The mascot for the school is actually a cotton plant.
Thomasson apologized for the tweet, saying he didn’t mean to cause any kind of controversy and added that he usually refers to the team as the “Pickers.” He also tried to provide context about where the name came from, claiming “Cotton Pickers” derives from a Latino background, many of whom for generations have picked cotton for a living.
Thomasson insists that the name doesn’t come from the slavery stereotype, but if you know your history then you know that Texas was a slave state prior to and during the Civil War.
After consulting with community, the Robstown school board vowed to keep the mascot after consulting the community.
People are confused on twitter after finding out schools mascot in Corpus Christi is named the “Cotton Pickers” pic.twitter.com/P1DslTU9Bp
— SAY CHEESE! 👄🧀 (@SaycheeseDGTL) September 5, 2020
Texas High School Football Named The "Cotton Pickers" Exposed!!!!
These backwards hillbillies mascot is a whole cotton plant.
The internet is abuzz at the fact that there’s actually a high school team called the… https://t.co/cANFzGgP0E
— Willie D (@WillieDLIVE) September 6, 2020
https://twitter.com/dreadinho/status/1302568556505300992?s=21
Ain’t no way Texas got a mascot named “Cotton Pickers” wtf? Foh smh https://t.co/3M0lsTYgNZ
— S1A1 (@samfauguste) September 6, 2020
https://twitter.com/oleratoisweird/status/1302544831353434117?s=21
"It honors the hispanic cottonpickers who enjoyed their work"
The whole team is Black tho
— Gohan's legal guardian 🍓🍉🦖 (@TekenaTravis) September 6, 2020
Not people under this thread saying it’s “not a black thing” or “it’s based on paid labor” are missing the point. “Cotton pickers” has been an insult to blpoc for years. I’ve been called that to my face. so why are y’all trying to invalidate the outrage? https://t.co/8iSxVc1PGm
— SeaSea (@camaffey_) September 6, 2020
