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On Monday, the Cleveland Indians agreed to ax their controversial Chief Wahoo logo. In wake of the decision, the Change The Mascot campaign, started by the Oneida Nation, is now urging the Washington Redskins to change their nickname as well.
Oneida Nation representative Ray Halbritter released a statement that applauded the Indians' decision before turning the pressure up on Redskins owner Dan Snyder and the NFL.
“Cleveland's decision should finally compel the Washington football team to make the same honorable decision. For too long, people of color have been stereotyped with these kinds of hurtful symbols — and no symbol is more hurtful than the football team in the nation's capital using a dictionary- defined racial slur as its team name.”
A number of organizations have lobbied for Washington to change their name in the past, but Snyder has maintained that he's not considering doing so. On the Change The Mascot website, their purpose is clearly stated: “end the use of the racial slur “r*dskins” as the mascot and name of the NFL team in Washington, D.C.”
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ESPN attempted to contact the Redskins organization for a comment, but it was declined. Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that trademark law prohibiting the use of offensive terms would violate free speech rights, further decreasing the odds of the franchise making a change.
Halbritter finished the statement with a direct shot at Snyder and his long-term legacy:
“Washington Owner Dan Snyder needs to look at Cleveland's move and then look in the mirror and ask whether he wants to be forever known as the most famous purveyor of bigotry in modern sports, or if he wants to finally stand on the right side of history and change his team's name. We hope he chooses the latter.”
