University Of Nebraska Revises Mascot’s Hand Gesture To Avoid White Supremacy Link
The University of Nebraska made a change to its cartoon mascot. After nearly five decades, Herbie Husker will no longer form the "OK" hand signal with his left hand, which has recently become a white supremacist hand gesture.
"The concern about the hand gesture was brought to our attention by our apparel provider and others, and we decided to move forward with a revised Herbie Husker logo," Nebraska Athletics told CNN.
According to NPR, the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights organization, added the "OK" hand gesture to its "Hate on Display" in 2019.
Three straight fingers make a 'W,' and the circle formed next to an extended finger make a 'P.' Together, they stand for white power.
From now on, Herbie will hold up one finger, signaling No. 1.
Lonna Henrichs, the university's athletic department's licensing and branding director, first learned that Herbie's "OK" hand gesture was problematic in July 2020, shortly after former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, the Flatwater Free Press reported.
"That hand gesture could, in some circles, represent something that does not represent what Nebraska athletics is about," Henrichs said. "We just didn't even want to be associated with portraying anything that somebody might think, you know, that it means white power."
