Amid a merger between the athletic programs of Long Island University’s Brooklyn and Post campuses, the LIU Brooklyn mascot Blackbirds is being ditched as of next fall — and alums of the school are upset, the New York Post reported.
The Blackbirds’ nickname dates back to 1935, the paper said.
A group of 12 former LIU Brooklyn athletes and alumni met in March with school president Kimberly Cline to address their concerns, but Cline told them the Blackbirds mascot would be ditched and “also said the school has heard that the Blackbird is an offensive racist mascot,” the Post reported.
The group asked Cline why can’t the Blackbirds and the Pioneers — LIU Post’s mascot — be on the ballot for merged programs’ nickname, but she said a marketing firm suggested to wipe the slate clean, the paper added.
“As Blackbirds and Pioneers, our past and present student-athletes have built a strong foundation of excellence which our alumni are rightly proud of,” LIU athletic director Debbie DeJong said in a statement to the Post. “Now, as we unite our two campuses into a strengthened Division I program, a new mascot will unify our national brand as we enter a new era of excellence.” – READ MORE