October 14, 2020

Freeman Family,

I am writing to update you on our quest to establish a new nickname and mascot to represent Freeman High School. This summer we asked if the word “rebel” represented our core values as a school, and we determined that it was time to retire that word because of its ties to the Confederacy and its position counter to our belief in an inclusive Freeman Family for all. We have been working with a team from VCU’s Brandcenter led by Freeman alumni to identify our core values and establish what aspects we want in our new name. They have spent the last four weeks systematically researching and investigating DSF to articulate these aspects of our school culture. Their findings are enlightening and have led us to this moment, where we are ready to share four (4) nickname/mascot choices with you for your feedback.

These names came about because they, in different ways, match the core values that the Freeman students and community shared with our team: Family, Pride, Excellence, Intensity, Diversity, Community, Independence, Tradition and Leadership.

Each name on the short list was generated by a community member and, in different ways, fit the criteria that our community and students said we were looking for in our new moniker: an enduring connection, a collective Identity, purposeful and forward movement, retaining the independent spirit of our old name, and being unique yet timeless.

Use the form below to read about each name and why it was chosen and then complete the rank-order vote. Feel free to leave any comments about the name choices. We will use this student and community feedback to guide the final decision, aided by a group of student leaders, announced the week of November 9^th.

Thank you for your engagement in this process, your passion for the future of DSF, and for your commitment to the Freeman Family.

Respectfully and Sincerely,

John Marshall

Principal

Douglas Freeman High School