by
John Stevenson
For
years, there have been occasional and seemingly unconnected efforts to erase
symbols of the Confederate States of America---to tear down a statue, rename a
school, or remove a Confederate flag.
Then
came the June 2015 South Carolina church massacre by a white supremacist. That heinous
act galvanized public opinion, and the previously sporadic efforts became a
nationwide movement.
A
primary target for historical erasure is the plethora of statues of Confederate
military leaders. And most prominent
among those are statues of General Robert E. Lee.
Like
other Confederate generals, statues of Lee almost always depict him astride his
horse Traveller. Lore is that Traveller
was fast, strong, and brave---a fitting horse for a renowned military commander
of that era.
Unlike
Lee, Traveller was presumably not a slaveholder. His heart likely was not even committed to
the Confederate cause. But, as Lee’s warhorse,
in a sense he too was a Confederate hero.
And of course, as the statues are taken down, Traveller is being scrubbed
from history as surely as his rider.
Barring
some unforeseeable shift in public sentiment, the erasing of Confederate
leaders will continue until there is no more Robert E. Lee astride Traveller in
any public place in America.
The
historical expunging will be complete. Or
maybe not.
As
it turns out, the University of Southern California has a horse named Traveler
as its mascot. Traveler attends home
football games and, with his Trojan rider, gallops around the field whenever
USC scores---which is far too often.
Traveler
first appeared at USC in the 1961 football season. Of course over the years USC has had a
succession of Travelers. The original
one was, according to its owner Richard Saukko, named in honor of---you guessed
it---General Lee’s Traveller.
So
even after the removal of Confederate statues and flags, and even after the
renaming of streets, schools, and buildings, a symbol of the Confederacy will
endure in the name of USC’s mascot.
The
historical erasure enthusiasts should turn their attention to this living,
breathing, galloping Confederate namesake.
USC’s Traveler and all of his successors will have to be renamed.
Previous
renaming efforts have often included a jujitsu component: the now-disfavored
names would be replaced by those of prominent minorities or civil rights
leaders. For example, the renaming of
San Francisco’s Army Street as Cesar Chavez Blvd.; the so-far-unsuccessful
campaign to rename J.E.B. Stuart High School in Virginia after Thurgood
Marshall; and the fizzled renaming of San Francisco’s Washington High in favor of
Maya Angelou.
In
keeping with that spirit, USC could select the name of a prominent minority or
civil rights leader to replace their Confederate namesake. For consideration, here are a couple of
distinguished figures with already-established connections to USC: O.J. Simpson, “The Juice,” who galloped for
record-setting yardage in the Coliseum in the 1960s. And Snoop Dogg (nee Calvin Broadus, Jr.) who
can often be found horsing around on the sidelines at USC games.
If
they are willing to choose a replacement name without regard for minority
status or civil rights involvement, here are a couple of USC grads to
consider: John Wayne, “The Duke,” who
starred in several westerns as a cavalry officer. And Charles Paddock (nicknamed “The Human
Race Horse”), 1920 Olympic 100-meter gold medalist.
For
now, the historical erasure folks are busy with removing the Confederate
statues and flags and with the renaming of schools and such. But once they are finished up with those more
tangible targets, USC officials should expect a knock at the door.
