On July 13, 2020, the Washington Redskin’s pledged to change its name. The National Football League team based in Washington D.C. would no longer have the Redskins trademark on any team merchandise, and the iconic red and yellow Indian logo would be replaced. What came as a shock to football fans across the nation was looked at as a win by Native American activists.
While the name change could be connected to the United States progressive racial shift, the Redskin’s name has been challenged and contested by Native Americans for decades. Today, Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines redskin as “offensive—used as an insulting and contemptuous term for an American Indian” (Redskin, 2020). However, the Washington Redskin’s name was formed in an innocence way. The Washington Redskin’s name originated in 1933 and was coined by the team’s founder George Preston Marshall (Shapira, 2020). When the team was located in Boston and formally called Braves, there was also a baseball team in Boston with the same name, and Marshall decided to mitigate confusion to switch the name to Redskins (Shapira, 2020). It wasn’t until 1972 that Native American activists formally contested the name. A Native American delegation was formed and met with the Washington Redskins President Edward Bennett Williams to advocate changing the name (Shapira, 2020). All that came from the meeting was changing a few lyrics in the fight song (Shapira, 2020). The discrepancies with the team’s name from Native American activists continued throughout the years. Native American activists fought to get the rights and trademarks for using the name Redskins taken away. A 25-year court fight led to in 2017 the Washington Redskins winning the trademark (Marimow & Shapira, 2017). After this, there was very little Native American activists could do in future federal court appeals (Marimow & Shapira, 2017). In February 2020, a study from UC Berkeley polled how Native Americans feel about the Washington Redskin’s name. From the study, the researchers found that “57% who strongly identify with being Native American and 67% of those who frequently engage in tribal cultural practices were found to be deeply insulted by caricatures of Native American culture” (Anwar, 2020). Overall, researchers concluded that there is controversy over the use of Native representations in sports. The study demonstrates how Native Americans still felt like they are not being heard when it came to this issue.
As Native American activists fought for decades to have the Washington Redskins change their name, many others believed in keeping the name. One of the biggest advocates for not changing the Redskins name was Daniel Snyder, the team's current owner. Back in 2013, in an interview with USA Today, Snyder publicly promised never to change the team's name, saying, "We'll never change the name, it's that simple. NEVER — you can use caps" (Brady, 2013). Referencing tradition and fan loyalty, Snyder has made it clear that he will never allow for the name to change through the years. In 2016 the Washington Post released a poll showing that nine out of ten Native Americans are not offended by the Washington Redskins name (Cox, Clement & Vargas, 2016).. Owner Snyder celebrated this finding as in a statement he said, "The Washington Redskins team, our fans and community have always believed our name represents honor, respect and pride" (Cox, Clement & Vargas, 2016). In 2017 the Supreme Court ruled in a separate case relating to an Asian rock band that "a key section of federal law banning trademarks that "may disparage" people was a violation of the First Amendment" (Marimow & Shapira, 2017). This ruling forced Native American activists to drop their trademark case against the Washington Redskins, letting them legally keep the name. Another argument for fans of the Redskins name is that changing it is a way of erasing Native American history. Eamon Passey an opinion writer for BPN Today News explains, "stripping the Redskins of its name does not mean anything; in fact, all the name change does is continue what the United States has practiced for centuries — erasing any trace of Native American cultures, people, and beliefs in our country" (Passey 2020).
The Washington Redskins did not change their name for 87 years and has claimed three Super Bowl titles. In July of 2020, the team announced it would retire the name. Many factors eventually caused the team to finally stop using the name Redskins. However, the most prominent of all the reasons was the threat of losing the financial backing of the team. On July 2, 2020, FedEx, one of the Redskins major corporate investors, put in a formal request for the team to change its name. It is reported that the request came after there was an investment firm and shareholder meeting with FedEx, Nike, and PepsiCo telling the corporates to cut ties with the Redskins if they do not change their name (Clarke, 2020). The shareholders cited that the name is a racial slur, and FedEx, Nike, and PepsiCo have to obligate their values on diversity and inclusion (Clarke, 2020). Washington Post journalist Liz Clarke writes that this request from FedEx represents:
“another shift in a battle in which the terrain has shifted from moral appeals to business and political tactics during a period in which the country is reexamining statues, monuments, symbols and corporate names and logos that some Americans have never questioned but others long have considered a source of offense, insult or pain” (Clarke, 2020).
The following day July 3, 2020, the Washington Redskins announced they would be launching a formal review into changing their name. What team owner Daniel Snyder said would never happen, in all caps, was now underway. After the name's internal official review, it was announced ten days later that the Washington Redskins would retire the name. The ultimate cause of the Washington Redskin's changing their name was the team's major corporate sponsors' pressure. When Snyder and the higher officials saw the threat of losing their sponsorships, it prompted a change.
For many Native Americans, the removal of the name Redskins was a win for their communities. Billy Tayac, the chief of the Piscataway Indian Tribe and a long-time Native American activist, highlights that it was never about "political pressure" or people's feelings for Daniel Snyder (Cruz, 2020). The changing of the name was all about losing money (Cruz, 2020). Chief Tayac recognizes that their decade-long battle to change the name happened in a matter of days when the threat of losing money was involved, saying, "Money talks and that's what he [Daniel Snyder] realizes" (Cruz, 2020). The Washington Redskin's name change is a set in the right direction. Still, its decades-long usage has turned a racial slur into a common noun, and Chief Tayac highlights that Native Americans' fight for equality will continue.
In the days following the Washington Redskin's name retirement, team officials announced for the 2020-2021 football season, the team would be known as Washington Football Team. As for their image they are sticking with the burgundy and gold colors, and the logo will be removed from the team's helmets and replaced with each player's number. The team's executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Terry Bateman, explained that this is not a permeant rebrand for the team. A typical rebranding takes anywhere from "12 to 18 months" to execute correctly (Schefter, 2020). In a statement to ESPN, Bateman shares the new team image's goals saying, "We want to do it right. We want something thoughtful and inclusive and smart and bring a lot of points of views into this and come out the other side with something everyone is proud of and can rally behind" (Schefter, 2020).
The future of the Washington Football Team is unclear. It is uncertain what the team will unite behind as their new mascot and image. But with the major corporate sponsors like FedEx, Nike, and PepsiCo voicing their concerns for equality and justice, fans can trust that the new image will steam from something positive rather than a racial slur. It is hard to say if the Washington Football Team would have retired the name Redskins if these major corporate sponsors did not address the issue and threaten to lose their business. Or if the racial awakening within the United States alone would have brought about the change. Now that the team did change their name, it can steam to other teams across the country at the college and high school level to reflect on their mascots.
References
Allen, Scott and Kilgore, Adam (Jul. 13, 2020). Washington’s name change happened fast, but it was decades in the making. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/07/13/washingtons-name-change-happened-fast-it-was-decades-making/
Anwar, Yasmin (Feb. 4, 2020). Washington Redskins’ name, Native mascots offend more than previously reported. Berkley News https://news.berkeley.edu/2020/02/04/native-mascots-survey/
Brady, Erik (May 9, 2020). Daniel Snyder says Redskins will never change name. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/redskins/2013/05/09/washington-redskins-daniel-snyder/2148127/
Clarke, Liz. (Jul. 2, 2020). FedEx calls on Redskins to change name following investors’ demands on sponsors. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/07/02/fedex-redskins-name-change/
Cox, W. John, Clement, Scott & Vargas, Theresa (May 19, 2016). New poll finds 9 in 10 Native Americans aren’t offended by Redskins name. Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/new-poll-finds-9-in-10-native-americans-arent-offended-by-redskins-name/2016/05/18/3ea11cfa-161a-11e6-924d-838753295f9a_story.html
Cruz, Abby (Aug. 8, 2020). What Native American activists think about the Washington Football Team name change. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/native-american-activists-washington-football-team-change/story?id=72188694
Marimow, Ann & Shapira, Ian (Jun. 29, 2017). Washington Redskins win trademark fight over the team’s name. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/2017/06/29/a26f52f0-5cf6-11e7-9fc6-c7ef4bc58d13_story.html?itid=lk_inline_manual_68
Passey, Eamon (Jul. 15, 2020). Opinion: The Washington Redskins should keep their name. BPN Today News. https://www.bpntoday.com/sports/vf2qjqfupdrwm50q3ellhq85f9hcc3
Redskin. (2020). Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/redskin
Schefter, Adam. (Jul. 23, 2020). Washington NFL team to use 'Washington Football Team' for 2020 season. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29524343/washington-nfl-team-use-washington-football-team-now-sources-say
Shapira, Ian (Jul. 3, 2020). A brief history of the word ‘redskin’ and how it became a source of controversy. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/07/03/redskins-name-change/