The Washington Redskins will change their team name.
The team, which has gone by the old name since the 1930s, announced on Monday that it will no longer use the term “Redskins” after critics have claimed it was racist and insensitive to Native Americans. In a statement team owner Dan Snyder and head coach Ron Rivera said they are “working closely to develop a new name and design,” which have not yet been revealed. The Washington Post reported that the team is unable to reveal the new name because there is an ongoing trademark dispute.
Synder, who purchased the team in 1999, has repeatedly refused to change the team name and defended it in previous years, but calls for the team to change its name were renewed following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. Protests, which were mostly peaceful, have spread across the country, demanding an end to systemic racism and police brutality. Some cities are still having demonstrations six weeks after his death.
The majority owner announced on July 3 that the team would be undergoing a “thorough review” of its name. The decision came after a number of organizations that partner with the team called on it to change the name. Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Nike have also taken Redskins merchandise off their sites amid the push.
“We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name,” FedEx, which has naming rights over the team’s stadium, said in a statement.
The pressure from partners contributed to Snyder’s decision to back down after years of refusing to do so, but he also faced it from the Washington, D.C., government, which control Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in the city.
“We will never change the name of the team,” Snyder told USA Today Sports in 2013. “As a lifelong Redskins fan, and I think that the Redskins fans understand the great tradition and what it’s all about and what it means, so we feel pretty fortunate to be just working on next season.”
“We’ll never change the name,” he said. “It’s that simple. NEVER — you can use caps.”
Later that year, Snyder was invited to visit the Oneida Indian Nation in Central New York, who at the time was waging a campaign to get the team’s name changed.
Ray Halbritter, a representative of the Oneida Nation, said at the time, “During his visit, we will organize a special meeting of Oneida Nation families where Mr. Snyder can personally explain to them why he believes they deserve to be called ‘Redskins.’ He can then hear directly from them why that term is so painful.”
The invitation to visit the Native American group came after the owner sent a letter to season ticket holders about the team name.
“I respect the opinions of those who disagree,” Snyder wrote. “I want them to know that I do hear them, and I will continue to listen and learn. But we cannot ignore our 81 year history, or the strong feelings of most of our fans as well as Native Americans throughout the country. After 81 years, the team name ‘Redskins’ continues to hold the memories and meaning of where we came from, who we are, and who we want to be in years to come.”
“I respect the feelings of those who are offended by the team name,” he continued. “But I hope such individuals also try to respect what the name means, not only for all of us in the extended Washington Redskins family, but among Native Americans too.”
The NFL met with the Oneida Indian Nation later that year, but the team name was not changed at the time.
With Washington deciding to change their team name, that will likely apply additional pressure to other professional sports teams that have controversial team names like the Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Chiefs, and Atlanta Braves — all of whom all use Native American imagery in their branding.
