According to reports and video footage, a Texas high school football team is going viral for their team name, which many have found offensive. Robstown High School’s football team is going by the name of the Robstown Cotton Pickers. The footage shows the team walking on the field to face off against another school that goes by the London Pirates.
Many consider the name to be racist based on the ugly past of slavery in America, where Black people who were forced into slavery ended up picking cotton on plantations after being sold to a slave master. However, people in Robstown say the name is a way to remember family members and ancestors from the past.
An alumnus of Robstown High School spoke on the team’s mascot, saying, “I’ve lived in different cities and when I tell them my high school mascot they kind of take a, it’s a big surprise. They get surprised by what it is.” Rodriguez noted that people outside of the town get offended, but town natives are reportedly proud of the past. He said, “We’re Latinos. We’re migrant workers, and we picked cotton. My parents picked cotton.” Take a look above.
source: Pro Sports Extra
