The air is thick with the scent of fresh-cut grass and the hum of distant traffic. You are standing right in front of Richland High School, a place that has seen more than its share of history. It is a modern school, the result of a major renovation in the late 2000s, but its history stretches far back to the 1960s, when it was first built as the second high school in the Birdville Independent School District. Back then, the school was known as the ‘Rebels’, and it was a place of tradition and community. The Confederate battle flag flew proudly above the school, and the mascot was ‘Johnny Reb’. But the world changed, and Richland High changed with it. In 2020, after a petition signed by over 25,000 people, the school board voted to remove the Rebel mascot and the remaining Confederate symbols. The mascot was replaced with the Royals, and the blue and gray Rebel theme was replaced with new school colors of navy, red, and white. Today, Richland High is a place that embraces diversity and change. It is a testament to the resilience of a community, and to the power of progress. On the wall of the school’s main entrance, you can see a plaque that reads: ‘Richland High School, A Place Where Dreams Take Flight’. This is the school where notable alumni Wendy Davis, a former Texas State Senator, and Trent Grisham a professional baseball player, honed their skills and earned their stripes. It’s a school that’s constantly growing and changing, but always staying true to its core values. It is a school full of character and history, and it is waiting to be explored.
University of Texas at Dallas
You are standing in front of the heart of the Telecom Corridor. This is a complex of multinational technology companies,