We recently received a message asking us if the Colonial School District had made a change to the Colonial mascot of Plymouth Whitemarsh High School. In recent year, colleges such as George Washington University and Philadelphia Community College had replaced their colonial mascots due to complaints about symbolism surrounding the Colonial era.

We hadn’t heard about any change at the Colonial School District, however, when we looked at a recent photo posted on the school district Facebook page and website, we noticed that a banner used as a backdrop for many Plymouth Whitemarsh High School photos had been changed.

The above images show high school athletes from Plymouth Whitemarsh High School on national signing day when they recognized for their commitment to colleges. The one on the left is from 2023, the right from 2024. As you can see, there is a silhouette of the red colonial head on the banner from 2023. On the right, there is a red star where the colonial had previously been represented.

According to the school district no change has been made. The red star is not a replacement for the colonial, which continues to serve as the school’s mascot. The star originated as a design element over the “i” to replace in the dot in some colonial designs.

It was pointed out by a representative of the district that the colonial head is still highly utilized and that you can find it on the outside facade of the high school, as well as in other locations inside the school and the district office. It also continues to be found on some athletic uniforms and existing gear and swag. The colonial even appears on the tablecloth shown in both pictures, it was just outside the area that was cropped for use on social media.

The representative also shared that, “if the District was to consider permanently replacing the Colonial head with something different, we would do so by providing many opportunities for stakeholder feedback and suggestions, as we know the existing Colonial head symbol has meaning for many.”

So there you have it. The colonial is still on duty at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School.

FYI, if you think colonial symbols are problematic, you should look up the symbolism around a red star.

Photos: Colonial School District