Politically Incorrect High Schools

[Mark F. Barnes]

The Burnet Lone Star Flag.

The Julia Lee Sinks scrapbook also contains a replica of the "first official flag of the Republic," proposed by President David G. Burnet at the meeting of the First Congress of the Republic held in Columbia, 10 Dec 1836 when the Burnet naval flag was also adopted. Like the Burnet naval flag, this is the only known survivor of the period. Although the flag is depicted in most histories as a gold star in a bright solid blue field, the star in Sink's flag was gold in a field of bluish-green or marine, similar to the upper left field in the Sink's replica of the Burnet naval flag.

A simplification of the Zavala flag, the Burnet Lone Star flag, sometimes referred to as the second official flag of the Texas Republic, was essentially the left part of the Burnet naval flag with a gold star and the Zavala flag with the white star colored gold without the lettering around the star.

[Heights2Bastrop]

I copied the following from Texas Handbook Online:

The first official flag, the "National Standard of Texas," was passed by the Congress of the republic and approved by President Sam Houston on December 10, 1836. It consisted of an azure ground with a large golden star central. This flag, known as David G. Burnet's flag, served as the national flag until January 25, 1839, and the war flag from January 25, 1839, to December 29, 1845. President Burnet proposed the national standard, as well as the 1836 national flag for the naval service, in a letter of October 11, 1836, to Congress. The second official flag was the 1836 national flag for the naval service, or war ensign. This was the same flag Burnet adopted for the navy at Harrisburg on April 9, 1836. It was similar to the United States flag and showed thirteen stripes and a blue canton with a single white star. It was passed by Congress and approved by Houston on December 10, 1836, and remained in use until January 25, 1839.

While this is not the "official" Bonnie Blue Flag, it was the same design, but with a gold star. However, many still referred to it as the Bonnie Blue.

While this is just one source, I have seen a number of sources for the first "official" Republic of Texas flag. But then, I have seen, as you posted, opposing views. I believe the "truth" depends upon whose history you read.

[Vertigo58]

At the risk of opening a can of worms, I've wondered for some time how much longer three HISD schools will continue to bear the names they were given many decades ago. I'm speaking of Jefferson Davis High, Robert E. Lee High, and Albert Sydney Johnston Middle School. All over the country various groups and individuals are doing their best to erase all traces of the Confederacy -- i.e. the Confederate battle flag, and schools named for Confederate leaders.

For some reason, this hasn't come up in Houston, and I find that surprising. Lee High School has a large minority enrollment, especially African-American, and you would think they would be the ones complaining loudest about the name of their school. On the north side, the enrollment at Jeff Davis High is almost a hundred percent minority -- Hispanic and African-American -- and there too you would expect to hear complaints about the school's name. This is also true for Johnston Middle School, which is named for a confederate general who was killed early on in the Civil War.

Three schools -- all with large minority enrollments -- named for men who put their lives on the line to defend the institution of slavery. Any thoughts on why this doesn't seem to be an issue in Houston? I sincerely hope the mere discussion of it won't cause it to become an issue.

I wonder how this topic got placed under Historic Houston well it sort of is, but seems should have went under Way Off maybe? In any case.

Our school was the Stephen F. Austin Mustangs. Maybe animal activists will protest our horsey?

He "Stevie" used to prance around during pep rally's and just run up and down the auditorium aisles. Animal cruelty? maybe, His hooves were smacking concrete floors during all the jubilation. Sometimes he broke in to 2 pieces and humans popped out! I better get to work on starting a demonstration.

Edited April 4, 2007 by Vertigo58

[Firebird65]

I wonder how this topic got placed under Historic Houston well it sort of is, but seems should have went under Way Off maybe? In any case.

Our school was the Stephen F. Austin Mustangs. Maybe animal activists will protest our horsey?

He used to prance around during pep rally's and just run up and down the auditorium aisles. Animal cruelty? maybe, His hooves were smacking concrete floors during all the jubilation. Sometimes he broke in to 2 pieces and humans popped out! I better get to work on starting a demonstration.

LOL! I went to Aldine (1990 State and National Champions, baby!) and we're also the Mustangs. Back when I was there (early 1980s), we had a fiberglass Mustang mascot named Pegasus that the cheerleaders wheeled around after touchdowns. He was even on the cover of one of my yearbooks. Funny thing about Pegasus was that he was anatomically correct in every way, including his, ahem, nether regions. Normally he was on all four legs. But as he was being wheeled around after a score, he was raised onto two legs in a sort of "reverse bucking" kind of stance (hope I described that right). And when he was in this stance, well... let's just say he was in all his "glory." LOL!

I stopped going to games after awhile (too far removed from the school), but when they were moved into a football district with the Spring Branch schools, they would play at Tully Stadium, just few miles or so from where I lived. So I started going again when they would play an away game there. But while the team, band, flag corp and dance squad all showed, there was no Pegasus.

I always wondered if they might have yanked him because it was either castrate him or else. LOL!

[northbeaumont]

At the risk of opening a can of worms, I've wondered for some time how much longer three HISD schools will continue to bear the names they were given many decades ago. I'm speaking of Jefferson Davis High, Robert E. Lee High, and Albert Sydney Johnston Middle School. All over the country various groups and individuals are doing their best to erase all traces of the Confederacy -- i.e. the Confederate battle flag, and schools named for Confederate leaders.

For some reason, this hasn't come up in Houston, and I find that surprising. Lee High School has a large minority enrollment, especially African-American, and you would think they would be the ones complaining loudest about the name of their school. On the north side, the enrollment at Jeff Davis High is almost a hundred percent minority -- Hispanic and African-American -- and there too you would expect to hear complaints about the school's name. This is also true for Johnston Middle School, which is named for a confederate general who was killed early on in the Civil War.

Three schools -- all with large minority enrollments -- named for men who put their lives on the line to defend the institution of slavery. Any thoughts on why this doesn't seem to be an issue in Houston? I sincerely hope the mere discussion of it won't cause it to become an issue.

Yes, in Port Arthur is Robert E. Lee Elementary School. It was built back in 1929. It has a very large minority enrollment. Yet I haven't heard anyone clamoring to have its named changed. Maybe the NAACP hasn't found out about it or got to it yet.

[Vertigo58]

I always wondered if they might have yanked him because it was either castrate him or else. LOL!

Then he would blend right in with the infamous "Heaven's Gate" cult members. The men had to do "without" before the spaceship was able to whisk them away. Sadly he would have had to take a helping of the lethal elixer to depart this earth. Nike shoes would have been tough to squeeeeeze on a horseys footsee's too.

[Firebird65]

Maybe the NAACP hasn't found out about it or got to it yet.

Shhhhh!

[northbeaumont]

Shhhhh!

Me and my big mouth!

[EastEnd Susan]

I wonder how this topic got placed under Historic Houston well it sort of is, but seems should have went under Way Off maybe? In any case.

Our school was the Stephen F. Austin Mustangs. Maybe animal activists will protest our horsey?

He "Stevie" used to prance around during pep rally's and just run up and down the auditorium aisles. Animal cruelty? maybe, His hooves were smacking concrete floors during all the jubilation. Sometimes he broke in to 2 pieces and humans popped out! I better get to work on starting a demonstration.

My sophomore year at Austin I dated both halves of "Stevie"... not at the same time of course. Mom said I dated a horses head and a horses a**. When my mom went to Austin back in the 40's they had a real horse.... or so I was told.

Edited April 4, 2007 by EastEnd Susan

[Vertigo58]

So maybe that means that even the Baseball Team names we had as kids will have to change? Here are some teams I was in that will be considered PI?

The Hornets

Wildcats

Tigers

Eagles

Orioles

Could anger animal activists?

change all to names like The blues, the reds (no that won't work), the greens, the purples.

Somethings blowing in the wind!

[mkultra25]

The sports teams at the school I attended from 6th - 10th grade were known as the "Blue Devils". The mascot was someone dressed up in, yep, a devil costume that was blue, complete with horns, tail, and trident. First Baptist Church bought the school in 1979-80, and shortly thereafter decided that "Blue Devils" was an inappropriate name to be used by a Baptist-affiliated institution, so it was changed to the "Mustangs" (unfortunately, they never had quite as much success with that name as Aldine did). I transferred to another school after that year, but as far as I'm concerned, they'll always be the "Blue Devils".

[Firebird65]

change all to names like The blues, the reds (no that won't work), the greens, the purples.

No, because those are all the nicknames for drugs and that will get someone upset.

Maybe the

A's

B's

C's

D's

F's

G's

etc., etc.,

No, come to think of it, that wouldn't work either cause some do-gooder would object to the F's, claiming the players on that team would associate the name with failure.

[northbeaumont]

Good point! Add to the list... my old school, the Lamar Redskins.

Before you know it, the NAACP will demand for the Department of Defense to change the name of Fort Benning in Georgia because it was named after a Confederate general.

[FilioScotia]

My sophomore year at Austin I dated both halves of "Stevie"... not at the same time of course. Mom said I dated a horses head and a horses a**.

I can't help myself. I have to ask. Which end was more interesting?

[EastEnd Susan]

I can't help myself. I have to ask. Which end was more interesting?

The rear end. He always had me laughing. We've remained close friends for 35 years now and hes still my best friend and silliest man I know.

Edited April 6, 2007 by EastEnd Susan

[FilioScotia]

The rear of course. He always had me laughing my a** off. We've remained close friends for 35 years now and hes still my best friend and silliest man I know.

You have to like a guy with a sense of humor like that. Someone willing to literally be the south end of a northbound horse.

Just curious. Where on the east end did you live and go to school? I lived there briefly way back before the civil war. I went to Edison JH one year in the late 50s. We lived on Sherman just off Wayside.

[EastEnd Susan]

You have to like a guy with a sense of humor like that. Someone willing to literally be the south end of a northbound horse.

Just curious. Where on the east end did you live and go to school? I lived there briefly way back before the civil war. I went to Edison JH one year in the late 50s. We lived on Sherman just off Wayside.

My family lived at 6640 Avenue L. I went to Jackson jr. and Austin Sr. graduated in 1975. My mom went to Edison back in the 40's.

[FilioScotia]

My family lived at 6640 Avenue L. I went to Jackson jr. and Austin Sr. graduated in 1975. My mom went to Edison back in the 40's.

You lived just a few blocks from me. I lived at 6717 Sherman, but I see in your profile that you born in March of 1957. That was the year I went to Edison.

So while I was trying to keep my head down and avoid the hoods and bangers at Edison, your mom was off somewhere having you and changing your diapers. Now I really do feel old. I also had to take a math course over again in summer school that year, and it was at Jackson.

Small world, isn't it?

[EastEnd Susan]

You lived just a few blocks from me. I lived at 6717 Sherman, but I see in your profile that you born in March of 1957. That was the year I went to Edison.

So while I was trying to keep my head down and avoid the hoods and bangers at Edison, your mom was off somewhere having you and changing your diapers. Now I really do feel old. I also had to take a math course over again in summer school that year, and it was at Jackson.

Small world, isn't it?

Small world yes! I just love meeting people on this forum that know my old neighborhood back in the time I was there. I bet when I talk about Richies (sp) Grocery store on 66th and Canal you know exactly what I'm talking about. And how the grass and trees were so green and the air had a sweet smell and there was the lonesome sound of a train whistle on a weekday night. And the Luthran school on Sherman. And Reddig Ice cream parlor. So.. hi there FilioScotia..nice to meet you.

Edited April 7, 2007 by EastEnd Susan

[FilioScotia]

Small world yes! I just love meeting people on this forum that know my old neighborhood back in the time I was there. I bet when I talk about Richies (sp) Grocery store on 66th and Canal you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Oh my lord. I had completely forgotten about Richies. (I can't remember the spelling either) Wasn't it a Lucky Seven store? Or am I thinking about another place? That was quite a place. A small one stop shopping center. A grocery store, drug store and a dime store, and a news stand too, I think. It was just a short walk from my house on Sherman. I spent a lot of time there reading magazines. It's where I discovered Playboy. They didn't keep them back behind the counter or sealed in cellophane bags the way they do today, and they never seemed to care that I spent so much time reading without buying. Very educational, that Playboy.

And you're right. The east end was a nice place to live back then. It had its share of what we called "hoods" in those days. The tough guys with the long side burns and motorcycle jackets, but I still have a lot of fond memories of living there. We had some very nice neighbors and kids my age all around us. You could actually walk around the neighborhood at night, and even go walking over to the Kopper Kettle on Harrisburg. I rode the bus to downtown and back all the time, even late at night and I don't remember ever feeling afraid.

Very nice to meet you too.

[EastEnd Susan]

Oh my lord. I had completely forgotten about Richies. (I can't remember the spelling either) Wasn't it a Lucky Seven store? Or am I thinking about another place? That was quite a place. A small one stop shopping center. A grocery store, drug store and a dime store, and a news stand too, I think. It was just a short walk from my house on Sherman. I spent a lot of time there reading magazines. It's where I discovered Playboy. They didn't keep them back behind the counter or sealed in cellophane bags the way they do today, and they never seemed to care that I spent so much time reading without buying. Very educational, that Playboy.

And you're right. The east end was a nice place to live back then. It had its share of what we called "hoods" in those days. The tough guys with the long side burns and motorcycle jackets, but I still have a lot of fond memories of living there. We had some very nice neighbors and kids my age all around us. You could actually walk around the neighborhood at night, and even go walking over to the Kopper Kettle on Harrisburg. I rode the bus to downtown and back all the time, even late at night and I don't remember ever feeling afraid.

Very nice to meet you too.

Mom was friends with Ralph and Roy Richie and yes it was a lucky 7. I can still hear the sound of my feet going from the concrete floor where the groceries were to the wooden floor where the toys and ...what did grandma call them?... Notions I believe were. In the early sixties my mom was divorced and was dating a guy that worked in the produce section at Richies. And my brother got his first job there in 1965 as a sacker. And we also ate at the Kopper Kettle all the time and bought plants and feed for our rabbit at Hendrix Grain and Feed store right by the Kopper Kettle. The man that owned the place always gave me a free packet of seeds for my garden. We always had our prescriptions filled at Marine Drug store on the corner of canal and 66th. They had free delivery. and mom had her dry cleaning done at the Acme cleaners right behind Richies. Why do I hear Barbara Streisand singing Memories???

Edited April 8, 2007 by EastEnd Susan

[capt. kirk]

At the risk of opening a can of worms, I've wondered for some time how much longer three HISD schools will continue to bear the names they were given many decades ago. I'm speaking of Jefferson Davis High, Robert E. Lee High, and Albert Sydney Johnston Middle School. All over the country various groups and individuals are doing their best to erase all traces of the Confederacy -- i.e. the Confederate battle flag, and schools named for Confederate leaders.

For some reason, this hasn't come up in Houston, and I find that surprising. Lee High School has a large minority enrollment, especially African-American, and you would think they would be the ones complaining loudest about the name of their school. On the north side, the enrollment at Jeff Davis High is almost a hundred percent minority -- Hispanic and African-American -- and there too you would expect to hear complaints about the school's name. This is also true for Johnston Middle School, which is named for a confederate general who was killed early on in the Civil War.

Three schools -- all with large minority enrollments -- named for men who put their lives on the line to defend the institution of slavery. Any thoughts on why this doesn't seem to be an issue in Houston? I sincerely hope the mere discussion of it won't cause it to become an issue.

THERE IS SAN ANTONIO LEE, ROBERT E. LEE IN MIDLAND, LEE OF BAYTOWN, HOUSTON LEE, DAVIS HIGH SCHOOLS ARE EVERYWHERE, SAME WITH THE 3RD ONE. AND DONT FORGET THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI AND ITS REBELS...........IT WAS A BATTLE FLAG AND NOTHING MORE, IN FACT IT WAS THE 4TH FLAG OF THE CONFEDERACY, AND THE CIVIL WAR WAS NOT TOTALLY ABOUT SLAVERY. IT HAD TO DO WITH TAXES, REPRESENTATION, NOT AGREEING ON LAWS. THE SOUTH WANTED INDEPENDENCE AND LINCOLN WANTED TO DO WHATEVER IT TOOK TO HOLD THE UNION TOGETHER. YOU MIGHT REMEMBER WILLIAM TESCUSEH SHERMAN, HE BURNED ATLANTA AND DESTROYED SOUTH CAROLINA, AND HE WAS A SEMINARY STUDENT AND PRESIDENT OF WHAT WE CALL L.S.U. OR LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY. A PREACHER NO LESS. DO SOME RESEARCH. MOST OF THESE SCHOOLS WERE BUILT BEFORE SEGREGATION AND HAVE HISTORY. SOME HAVE LIMITED THEIR MASCOTS AND SUCH JUST TO NOT CAUSE PROBLEMS. AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS BACK WHEN THE SCHOOLS WERE BUILT WERE MOSTLY CAUCASION AS THEY SAY. OVER THE YEARS THE MAKEUP OF EACH SCHOOL AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS CHANGED. WILL YOU SAY THE SAME ABOUT CHAVEZ HIGH SCHOOL OF HOUSTON OR OTHER PROMINENT PEOPLE. YOU FORGOT JAMES MADISON, MOSTLY AFRICAN AMERICAN BUT MADISON WAS THE 4TH SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. LOOK UP SOME OF THE HISTORY ON ALL THE HOUSTON SCHOOLS, IT MIGHT CHANGE YOUR MIND A LITTLE...........I FOUND A BLOG ON THIS VERY SAME THING AND IT WAS VERY INTERESTING, ALSO SCHOOLS THAT HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN DUE TO RELOCATION OR CHANGE IN ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS. ALSO THE THREE SCHOOLS THAT YOU MENTION DONT MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT THE NAME....THEY ACCEPT IT AND GO ON AND YOU SHOULD DO THE SAME THING.....AT ONE TIME THEY TRIED TO GET THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS TO CHANGE THEIR LOGO BUT GUESS WHAT.....THEY ARE STILL THE REDSKINS AND K.C. IS STILL THE CHIEFS..........FLORIDA STATE AND OTHERS NAMED THE MASCOT DUE TO THE PEOPLE THAT INHABITED THE AREA IN THE FIRST PLACE, YOU KNOW BEFORE THE WHITES. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR RESEARCH

Good point! Add to the list... my old school, the Lamar Redskins.

AND THEY ARE STILL CALLED THE REDSKINS AFTER ALL THESE YEARS...HMMM

We used to be called the Westbury Rebels, complete with Confederate flag. It was even on our class rings. Our mascot was called Johnny Reb, guarded over by the Rebel Guards. Our drill team was known as The Rebelletes. I have no idea what their mascot is now.

westbury77.com shows photo of Johnny Reb

class of 1976 photos

photo of the capture of the Bellaire Cardinal mascot, an annual tradition of days gone by

AND THAT WAS WHEN THE WESTBURY REBELS WERE PRETTY GOOD

[Highway6]

We've got a SCREAMER.

[LTAWACS]

Good point! Add to the list... my old school, the Lamar Redskins.

I think that was named after Mirabeau B. Lamar. And I think he was fighting against the Mexicans for Texan independence. So... unless you're a Mexican citizen... I'm unsure you should have an issue with the name of the school. I don't.

Edited October 6, 2009 by LTAWACS

[LTAWACS]

what are the chances that much of anyone in houston knows the history of any of those folks anyhow?

Pretty slim if they went to HISD. Or any other public school district around here.

[LTAWACS]

Bear in mind the recent soccer team naming fiasco. Somebody had to have complained...and not just a single nutjob, either. There must've been a backlash.

Im lost as to why.

[LTAWACS]

Allow me to erase your doubts. There is an active movement called Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, better known by its acronym, MEChA. The group was organized in 1969 by Mexican-American college students, for the most part, who preferred to call themselves Chicanos and Chicanas. MEChA proudly proclaims that its mission is to reclaim California and the rest of the Southwest�an area MECha calls Aztlan�from "the foreigner 'gabacho' who exploits our riches and destroys our culture."

Their manifesto states "We declare the independence of our mestizo nation. We are a bronze people with a bronze culture. Before the world, before all of North America, before all our brothers in the bronze continent, we are a nation, we are a union of free pueblos, we are Aztlan."

MEChA leaders say they're only a cultural group that promotes Hispanic cultural identity, but their methods are often radical and violent. Just a few months ago, in MEChA members claimed (in writing) to have destroyed the entire press run of the May 18, 2006 issue of the Pasadena City College newspaper. Nearly all 5,000 copies of the paper were removed from newspaper boxes, torn in half and returned to the paper's office with a signed note claiming responsibility.

At a July 4 celebration in 1996, members of the group were videotaped attacking black and white Americans protesting illegal immigration. In 1993, MEChA students at UCLA caused thousands of dollars in damage during protests to demand a Chicano studies department.

MEChA's constitution states "Chicanas and Chicanos must ... politicize our Raza [race] ... and struggle for the self-determination of the Chicano people for the purpose of liberating Aztlan." MEChA's motto is "for the race, everything. For those outside the race, nothing." ."

Aztlan is the southwest United States, but Mechistas claim Aztlan is their homeland that must be returned to Mexico and they say white Americans who currently govern these areas must be removed from power.

MEChA has as many as 300 chapters in universities across the U.S., with 100 of them in California alone.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa led the UCLA chapter of MEChA in the early and mid 70s. California Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante -- who ran for Governor against Arnold Schwarznegger in that special election -- has refused to disavow his own ties with MEChA. He belonged to MEChA while attending Fresno State University in the 1970s.

So, to answer your question -- Do Mexican-Americans really care about Mexico losing Texas? -- yes, they do.

Why don't they just... leave?

[LTAWACS]

It appears our fearless city council will do whatever they think they can get away with.

This has gone on long enough and we must put a stop to it. Who do they think they are?

[LTAWACS]

You have to like a guy with a sense of humor like that. Someone willing to literally be the south end of a northbound horse.

Just curious. Where on the east end did you live and go to school? I lived there briefly way back before the civil war. I went to Edison JH one year in the late 50s. We lived on Sherman just off Wayside.

Before the Civil War?

[editor]

This has gone on long enough and we must put a stop to it. Who do they think they are?

You do realize that you replied to a message that's more than three years old, don't you?