Photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images / Agence France-Presse
The team from the capital of the us is criticized for many years because of the racist overtones of its name and logo.
Team NFL Washington Redskins announced Friday to conduct a “thorough review” of the name of their team (the “Skins red” in French), criticized for many years because of its racist overtones.
“In light of recent events across the country and the feedback we have had from our community, the Washington Redskins announced that the team will conduct a thorough review of its name,” explained the franchise’s NFL in a statement sent to AFP.
For years, even decades, voices were raised to ask the team from the american capital to change its name and its logo, but its owner, Daniel Snyder, has refused, stating that this nickname pays homage to native americans.
Of amerindian organizations question to give up “this racist insult” and several american journalists refuse to use the team name in their articles or editorials.
After the death of George Floyd at the end of may, and while the United States is in a full examination of conscience, and to rethink their relation to their past racist, the pressure — especially economic — has further increased around the Redskins.
Earlier in the week, the company FedEx, which sponsors and gives its name to the stadium of the team, has officially asked the latter to change his surname.
On Friday, it is the equipment manufacturer Nike, which has stopped selling the derivatives to the team on its website.
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The d.c. mayor, Muriel Bowser, said last month that he was “high time” to change the name and that it was an “obstacle” to the desire of the team to come back and play in the capital — it is changing in Maryland neighbour since 1997.
“It is an obstacle for us locally, but it is also an obstacle to the federal government that we rent the field “, had warned the conceiving of Washington.
The review process announced on Friday, which could quickly lead to a discontinuation of the name ” Redskins “, will allow the franchise to take into consideration “not only of its proud tradition and its history, but also the opinion of our former players, the organization, our sponsors, the NFL and the local community,” said owner Daniel Snyder in the press release issued by his frankness.
Several other professional sports teams american names and logos of native americans, like the baseball team the Cleveland Indians, who have kept their name but have done away with their mascot “Chief Wahoo” of their outfits and almost all of their merchandising.
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