Rebel Spirit is nominated for a Webby Award and we need your help to win!

Go to this link and vote for Rebel Spirit: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2025/podcasts/limited-series-specials/diversity-equity-inclusion-belonging

Or just go to vote.webbyawards.com and search for Rebel Spirit. 

Thank you so much for your support!

Rebel Spirit is nominated for a Webby Award and we need your help to win!
Go to this link and vote for Rebel Spirit:&nbsp;<a href="https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2025/podcasts/limited-series-specials/diversity-equity-inclusion-belonging">https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2025/podcasts/limited-series-specials/diversity-equity-inclusion-belonging</a>
Or just go to vote.webbyawards.com and search for Rebel Spirit.&nbsp;
Thank you so much for your support!

Rebel Spirit is a brand new podcast series from Akilah Hughes (Crooked Media’s “What a Day”) about her return to her small town of Florence, Kentucky with a mission to change her high school’s mascot from a Confederate General into a Biscuit. The show features moving interviews with everyone from the artist behind “Gritty,” The Philadelphia Flyers’ viral mascot, to principals at schools across the nation who have made this change. In speaking to people at every inflection point of the issue of problematic mascots, Rebel Spirit endeavors to make the process of correcting historic wrongs less of a bummer.

Rebel Spirit is a brand new podcast series from Akilah Hughes (Crooked Media’s “What a Day”) about her return to her small town of Florence, Kentucky with a mission to change her high school’s mascot from a Confederate General into a Biscuit. The show features moving interviews with everyone from the artist behind “Gritty,” The Philadelphia Flyers’ viral mascot, to principals at schools across the nation who have made this change. In speaking to people at every inflection point of the issue of problematic mascots, Rebel Spirit endeavors to make the process of correcting historic wrongs less of a bummer.

Rebel Spirit

Vote For Rebel Spirit To Win A Webby!

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/4f464131-115e-494e-b3df-b2bf01584578/transcript

It's the last episode of the season, and Akilah is thinking about her home, Florence, Kentucky. Over the course of our reporting, we've been told how much the town and county are changing, how much more diverse they're getting. What does the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration and diversity mean for Florence? What does it mean for all of us? One last open record request underscores what we're up against, even as the battle feels larger than ever.

To view a selection of the open records we received from the school, along with bonus content for other episodes, visit our new website: https://rebelspiritpodcast.com

If you have a racist mascot at your high school or are an alumni of a high school with a racist mascot and want to share your own experience, please email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com.

We would love to talk to you!

Correction: We reference Linda McMahon as Education Secretary in this episode, as of publishing she is just the nomination.

It's the last episode of the season, and Akilah is thinking about her home, Florence, Kentucky. Over the course of our reporting, we've been told how much the town and county&nbsp;are changing, how much more diverse they're getting. What does the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration and diversity mean for Florence? What does it mean for all of us? One last open record request underscores what we're up against, even as the battle feels larger than ever.
To view a selection of the open records we received from the school, along with bonus content for other episodes, visit our new website:&nbsp;<a href="https://rebelspiritpodcast.com/about/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://rebelspiritpodcast.com/about/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1739311975551000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3yaxJqIGkdaOn8qAKPNDjU">https://rebelspiritpodcast.com</a>
If you have a racist mascot at your high school or are an alumni of a high school with a racist mascot and want to share your own experience, please email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com">rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com.</a>
We would love to talk to you!
Correction: We reference Linda McMahon as Education Secretary in this episode, as of publishing she is just the nomination.

Episode 12: Erasures 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2eb16bd4-6182-45f2-9bad-b28f0056699e/transcript

Since our last episode, we've heard rumors coming out of Boone County: there WILL be a new mascot; there definitely will NOT be a new mascot; the new superintendent wants to know what's going on; there are meetings happening. We've tried hard to get anyone at the school district or the high school to talk with us, so we can find out what's real and what isn't, but nobody will. And so this episode Akilah asks: is there another way to find out what folks are saying?

To view a selection of the open records we received from the school, along with bonus content for other episodes, visit our new website: https://rebelspiritpodcast.com

If you have a racist mascot at your high school or are an alumni of a high school with a racist mascot and want to share your own experience, please email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com.

We would love to talk to you!

Since our last episode, we've heard rumors coming out of Boone County: there WILL be a new mascot; there definitely will NOT be a new mascot; the new superintendent wants to know what's going on; there are meetings happening. We've tried hard to get anyone at the school district or the high school to talk with us, so we can&nbsp;find out what's real and what isn't, but nobody will. And so this episode Akilah asks: is there another way to find out what folks are saying?
To view a selection of the open records we received from the school, along with bonus content for other episodes, visit our new website: <a href="https://rebelspiritpodcast.com/about/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://rebelspiritpodcast.com/about/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1739311975551000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3yaxJqIGkdaOn8qAKPNDjU">https://rebelspiritpodcast.com</a>
If you have a racist mascot at your high school or are an alumni of a high school with a racist mascot and want to share your own experience, please email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com">rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com.</a>
We would love to talk to you!

Episode 11: Open Records

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/88482eb4-3d5b-4b11-b2b1-b280016d8c1a/transcript

Akilah sits down with her producers, Dan and Elizabeth, for a check in on where the journey has taken them since airing the initial episodes. Though there hasn't been much movement from Boone County High School, they have heard some updates from local supporters. Additionally, the team shares an overview of what they plan to share in future episodes.

If you have a racist mascot at your high school or are an alumni of a high school with a racist mascot and want to share your own experience, please email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com.

We would love to talk to you!

Akilah sits down with her producers, Dan and Elizabeth, for a check in on where the journey has taken them since airing the initial episodes. Though there hasn't been much movement from Boone County High School, they have heard some updates from local supporters. Additionally, the team shares an overview of what they plan to share in future episodes.
If you have a racist mascot at your high school or are an alumni of a high school with a racist mascot and want to share your own experience, please email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com">rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com.</a>
We would love to talk to you!

New Year Update

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6db65c41-824c-4349-a1ec-b2710150f0f7/transcript

Vote For Rebel Spirit To Win A Webby!

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