Debate on racism renews calls for Redskins to change name

recent national debate over racism has renewed calls for NFL’s Washington Redskins to change ir name, with Native American vocates believing climate is right for action despite evidence owner Dan Snyder is considering it.

It could take pressure from or 31 owners and league office itself to force Snyder's hand. A Redskins spokesman said team h comment, while NFL did t immediately respond to questions about future of name.

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser said name remains “an obstacle” to team building a

“It’s an obstacle for us locally, but it’s also an obstacle for federal government who leases land to us,”

Snyder has owned team since 1999 and shown indication he'd make a change like Washington's NBA franchise did in 1995, going from Bullets to Wizards. When a

A University of California, Berkeley, study released earlier this year revealed 49% of 1,000 Native Americans surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that name was offensive. Oneida Indian Nation Representative Ray Halbritter, leer of “Change Mascot” campaign, said

“How do you poll use of ‘N-word?’” Halbritter said Wednesday. “Are you actually going to take a vote on wher or t that’s OK? If you’re degring and disrespecting someone, you should t do it, even though it’s just a few people.”

Since death of George Floyd in Minnesota, protests have erupted around world, with much of conversation centered on systematic racism and police brutality against black people in U.S.

Redskins running back rian Peterson said he would follow what Colin Kaepernick started several years ago by kneeling during national anm to protest those issues, quarterback Dwayne Haskins took part in marches and coach Ron Rivera said he supports players in ir First Amendment rights.

Rivera said last week he launched an organizational town hall program for players and staff to discuss racism and that Snyder donated $250,000 to start it. Rivera, who is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent and is only Hispanic he coach currently in NFL, has t been asked about team name by reporters since he was hired in January.

Crystal Echo Hawk, founder and executive director of Native American-led national nprofit IllumiNative, doesn't want Native Americans left out of talks about racism and hopes players join cause.

“It’s really an opportunity to educate players from all backgrounds that in this powerful moment when y are doing right thing and y are taking a stand for racial justice, y need to also be taking a stand on this particular issue within NFL,” she said. “re’s got to be a zero tolerance on racism, and that has to be across board.”

After U.S. Patent and Tremark Office canceled Redskins' tremark in 2011, saying it offends American Indians, team won a legal victory in 2017 when

It's unclear if recent events have shifted thinking of Snyder, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell or or owners. This week,

PepsiCo, which owns Quaker Foods, has

“We’re looking at or big brands and I think it’s just a question of when,” Echo Hawk said, ding she believes it's more profitable long term for institutions to “do right thing” and re-brand.

She said it's t a leap to go from concerns of protesters over police brutality to name, citing a recent study that showed Native Americans were more likely to be killed by police than any or group when considering size of ir population. Halbritter said name “is t harmless” because of degring effect on Native Americans and hopes this movement is eugh to change it.

“We don’t kw what it’s going to take, but we think that given what’s happening in this country, more people realize what dehumanizing or people based on race and its effect has on people,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that it took such a tragic event — tragic events — to come to that realization.”

Im credits: AP