Sunday, February 18, 2007

CONTACTS: Reem Rahman             rrahman2@uiuc.edu
                       Bryana French             bryana.french@gmail.com
 
-MEDIA ADVISORY-
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
RECENT MASCOT DECISION IS ONLY A FIRST STEP: 
CAMPUS ISSUES REMAIN UNRESOLVED
PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT
The University announced yesterday that "Chief Illiniwek" will no longer perform at athletic events on the 
Urbana-Champaign campus after February 21, 2007 in compliance with the NCAA ruling. The universityŐs 
compliance implicitly acknowledges the NCAA's assessment of the mascot: the "Chief" is "hostile and 
abusive." Although this is clearly a first step, S.T.O.P.  (Students Transforming Oppression and Privilege) 
maintains that the University must facilitate the clear, consistent, and unconditional removal of the entire logo, 
not just the removal of the athletic performance. 
Retiring the chief must mean unconditionally retiring the trademark. It is unconscionable for the University of 
Illinois or any other private or public entity to continue to profit off of the mascot as an "honorable tradition.". 
Neither should the trademark be transferred to any other public or private entity that considers the mascot an 
"honorable tradition."   The University must ensure an end to the disrespect, mockery, racial stereotyping, and 
hostility perpetuated by the iconography.

In addition, the "Chief Illiniwek" regalia must also be retired.  In the resolution released by the Oglala Sioux 
tribe on January 17, 2007, "Chief Illiniwek" perpetuates a degrading racial stereotype and violates the integrity 
of traditional Illinois tribes. To this date, the regalia has not been returned to the Oglala Sioux tribe as 
requested.
The educational, moral, and ethical grounds for ending the Illiniwek tradition have been clear for decades. This 
first step by the University absolutely cannot be separated from the issues of racism, privilege and power on 
this campus and the steps that remain to be carried out.  Acts of intolerance and hate crimes repeatedly 
suffered by communities on this campus evidence the lack of a true climate of human rights and social justice 
at UIUC. 
As stated in the February 1st  S.T.O.P. demands, S.T.O.P. calls for the unconditional removal of "Chief 
Illiniwek" and all American Indian imagery, the elimination of the term "Fighting Illini", and the end of all 
"Chief Illiniwek" iconography including items for sale at the Illini Union Bookstore. However, this action  is 
only one of the seven broad areas of critical change that S.T.O.P. has identified, in order to foster a campus 
climate in which all UIUC students may thrive.  
S.T.O.P. is a broad coalition of students, faculty, and community members who remain committed to enacting 
critical changes on this campus that fully address the range of issues facing our community; this recent decision 
is a first but incomplete step.
WHAT:     Press Conference to address the administrationŐs due collective      response to 
the S.T.O.P. demands presented at Racism, Power, and Privilege forum that 
took place February 1, 2007

WHEN:     12:00 p.m. Thursday February 22, 2007

WHERE:   African American Cultural Center 708 S. Mathews Avenue Urbana, IL 61801

WHO:	      S.T.O.P. (Students Transforming Oppression and Privilege) Coalition	
Source:            Students Transforming Oppression and Privilege (STOP)
                    www.iresist.org
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