The Washington Redskins on Monday said that the team is to change its name following pressure from sponsors over a word widely criticized as a racist slur against Native Americans.
Washington on July 3 said that the Redskins name had been placed under review after a wave of rallies against racial injustice swept across the US following George Floyd’s death on May 25.
“Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the Redskins name and logo upon completion of this review,” the NFL team said in a statement.
Photo: Reuters
A replacement name was still being worked upon, the statement added.
Washington owner Dan Snyder had long resisted calls to change the team’s name, but faced mounting demands to rethink that position as protests erupted against systemic racism after the death of Floyd, an unarmed African American, during his arrest by police in Minneapolis.
Native American leaders last week wrote to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell demanding an immediate change of the team’s name, logo and mascot.
Washington’s announcement was applauded by Ray Halbritter, an Oneida Nation representative and head of the “Change the Mascot” campaign.
“The NFL and Dan Snyder have finally made the right call and Change the Mascot commends them for it,” Halbritter said in a statement. “This is a good decision for the country ... it closes a painful chapter of denigration and disrespect toward Native Americans and other people of color.”
US Representative Deb Haaland, one of the few members of the US Congress who identifies as Native American, also saluted the move.
“About time,” Haaland wrote on social media. “It shouldn’t take a huge social movement & pressure from corporate sponsors to do the right thing, but I’m glad this is happening.”
Intense pressure from the team’s most powerful corporate partners is widely believed to have forced the move.
FedEx, which purchased the naming rights to the team’s stadium through 2025 for US$205 million, earlier this month said that it had requested a change.
“We believe it is time for a change,” PepsiCo also said, while Nike removed the team’s merchandise from its Web site.
Bank of America said as a sponsor it had “encouraged the team to change the name.”
The team was established in 1932 as the Boston Braves and took on its current name in 1933 before moving to the US capital four years later.
Snyder previously had emphatically rejected requests to drop the Redskins tag.
Washington’s statement said that Snyder and head coach Ron Rivera were “working closely to develop a new name and design approach that will enhance the standing of our proud, tradition rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years.”
The Washington Post reported that the team had a preferred choice for a replacement name, but were working through trademark issues.
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