UNLV is making some changes. Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

UNLV removes Confederate-themed mascot statue from campus

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 6/17/20

In the wake of protests surrounding racial injustice and police brutality, UNLV has decided to make some changes.

The school announced that they removed the Hey Reb! statue from campus on Tuesday night and that more changes would be coming as a result, according to ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

The Hey Reb! statue stood in front of the Tam Alumni Center and the school announced it would be returning the statue to its donor.

(1/3)Message via @UNLV_President on the statue of Hey Reb!: "I wanted to let you know that the Hey Reb! statue in front of the Tam Alumni Center was taken down this evening. In recent conversations with the donor we mutually agreed it was best to remove the statue and return it."
— UNLV (@unlv) June 17, 2020

The Rebels' mascot dates back to the school's origin in the mid-1950s when they split from the University of Nevada, Reno. Students created the Confederate-themed mascot to rebel against Nevada Reno.

A Change.org petition helped push the school to change its mascot after receiving more than 4,000 signatures, according to Schlabach.

Many Confederate statues have been removed across the country in response to the death of George Floyd and racial injustice protests over the past few weeks.

Among colleges, Clemson University's Board of Trustees voted last week to remove John C. Calhoun's name from the Honors College, according to TMZ, and cited his racist, pro-slavery beliefs as the reason for the removal.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was instrumental in getting the university to change the name. The NFL star said the name of the Honors College made him uncomfortable during his time as a student at Clemson.

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant also asked a Kentucky judge to remove a Confederate statue from the town of his alma mater, Murray State, citing that the statue is "disturbing" and "oppressive."

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