Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-04) praised FedEx and Nike for their efforts to pressure the Washington Redskins into changing the team’s “harmful” name and mascot.
“I have been working on this for almost a decade because I believe all people, including Native Americans, should be treated with dignity and respect – and not dehumanized as mascots,” McCollum said in a statement.
FedEx, the official sponsor of the team’s stadium, formally asked the Washington Redskins Thursday night to change its name. Nike then removed all official Redskins gear from its online store.
JUST IN: @FedEx has asked the Washington @Redskins to change its name. Here is the statement:
“We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name.“
— 7News DC (@7NewsDC) July 2, 2020
https://t.co/6u59ipcXM1 search results pic.twitter.com/N3kxqhRB0n
— Mike Jones (@ByMikeJones) July 3, 2020
The team announced Friday that it will conduct a “thorough review” of its name and mascot “in light of recent events around our country and feedback from our community.”
“This process allows the team to take into account not only the proud tradition and history of the franchise but also input from our alumni, the organization, sponsors, the National Football League and the local community it is proud to represent on and off the field,” said Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins.
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 3, 2020
McCollum said the latest developments are a “tipping point” in the movement to “change the name of the Washington football team.”
“Now that the corporate community is joining the movement and putting the dignity of people over profits, it is a true example of transformative change and signals that we are at a tipping point. I commend Nike, FedEx, and others for taking action. Now it is up to the NFL, Commissioner Roger Goodell, and team owner Dan Snyder to do the same. Change the mascot. Change the name,” she said.
Snyder, however, said in a 2013 interview that he would “never change the name.”
“It’s that simple. NEVER—you can use caps,” he said. In other interviews, Snyder has argued that the mascot connotes “honor” and “respect.”
Native American groups held a protest outside U.S. Bank Stadium last year when the Minnesota Vikings hosted the Washington Redskins for Thursday Night Football.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “Washington Redskins” by Keith Allison. CC BY-SA 2.0.
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“The 84% rise in violent crimes in 2020 in the Cedar-Riverside area comes as a concern to many, considering that city leaders have started to invest in security upgrades and community-outreach programs.
In May2019, for instance, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced that a high-rise apartment complex at the center of little Mogadishu would be receiving an $825,000 security upgrade, including fencing, key fobs, and numerous security cameras.
In December 2018, the Minneapolis City Council voted to divert $43,000 from the Minneapolis Police Department to create a youth outreach team for the area, Minnesota Daily reports.”
Hey Betty, maybe you should do something productive for Minneapolis!
BWHAHAHA!!!
Oh, so that is what she has been doing for “almost a decade”. I was wondering because she sure has not done anything to help America prosper.
Did any Vikings show up to protest? Just wondering. I imagine they are a whole lot less likely to be butthurt than the wusses that did show up.