GWU reveals new nickname due to offensive old one.

Leif Le MahieuMay 25, 2023

George Washington University Changes Mascot Name to “Revolutionaries”

George Washington University, located in Washington, D.C., has announced that it will be changing its mascot name from “Colonials” to “Revolutionaries” after students complained that the former was offensive. The term “Colonials” was chosen in 1926 and referenced those who fought for independence from the British from 1775-1783. However, more than 500 students submitted a petition in 2018 linking the school’s mascot to “systemic oppression.” After months of debate and more than 47,000 responses, the university settled on the new name.

Exciting Day for the George Washington University Revolutionaries

Mark Wrighton, the president of the school, said, “This is an exciting day for the George Washington University Revolutionaries. I am very grateful for the active engagement of our community throughout the development of the new moniker. This process was truly driven by our students, faculty, staff, and alumni, and the result is a moniker that broadly reflects our community—and our distinguished and distinguishable GW spirit.”

Other names floated as replacements included Ambassadors, Blue Fog, and Sentinels. An announcement video featuring school alumnus and NBC host Chuck Todd focused on the school’s commitment to making change around the world. “We are a truly global community, shaping the future of the world every day. We are always pushing, always learning. We are excited by new people, new experiences, new ideas, and new ways of thinking. We are in the center of power where our energy and drive fuels Washington, D.C., and beyond. We are dedicated to changing the world for the better,” a narrator said in the video, which featured footage of Vice President Kamala Harris at the university.

Push for Change

The push to change the name began in 2018 when more than 500 students submitted a petition linking the school’s mascot to “systemic oppression.” “The use of ‘Colonials,’ no matter how innocent the intention, is received as extremely offensive by not only students of the University, but the nation and world at large. The historically, negatively-charged figure of Colonials has too deep a connection to colonization and glorifies the act of systemic oppression,” the students said.