ST. PETERSBURG -- Dixie M. Hollins High School has unique opportunities for young learners. It has several generations of alumni dating from the days when it was Pinellas County's largest high school. But despite their accomplishments, the associations of its namesake's first name have sometimes added to a negative perception about the school often referred to simply as "Dixie." That name for the American South, drawn from the song that came to represent the Confederacy in the Civil War, came to be associated in some ways with the anti-Black racism of the antebellum and Jim Crow eras.
"I think the name Dixie with Rebels (as the mascot)... kept... people from investigating and (reinforced) a past stereotype of what the school is about...", principal Robert Florio said. Florio adds that the perception sometimes keeps people from seeing the success of programs such as the Entertainment Arts Academy.
Senior Nicole Priel says the name stirred up classism and a perception that the school was full of low achievers. "We often were called 'Dirty Dixie', we were seen as below other schools."
Florio has led an initiative to change the schools image, by de-emphasizing the "Dixie" in its name and changing mascots. From now on, the school often referred to by its first name will be known as "Hollins High" and its teams will be known as the Royals, in honor of the school color, royal blue. Florio says students will vote on a new logo later this year and signs and social media will be updated to reflect the new emphasis.
He knows that alumni of the school have a strong association with the name, and insists he's not trying to take away their memories.
All four of the logo candidates were developed by the arts academy, and students have played an active role in the name change. One student provided by the school district for an interview says he believes the re-branding of Hollins will help minority students feel that they're in a "safe space."
Senior Nicole Priel says the school's arts academy, Cambridge program and culinary programs help make it "as good as any school in the county or the state." She says that the school is welcoming to students from diverse backgrounds.
Dixie M. Hollins High was named for Pinellas County's first school superintendent, who ironically gained a reputation of working to improve educational opportunities for Black students in the segregation era. Hollins hired several African-American teachers from what is now Tuskegee University, for example.
Photo: Pinellas School District