District of Columbia Councilman David Grosso has introduced a resolution that Washington’s professional football team should change its racist, derogatory name, the one beginning with “R.” It’s a non-binding resolution, to say the least; the team doesn’t even play in DC anymore.
Removing Native American slurs and stereotypes from sports nicknames and mascots has been a nationwide trend, but the second part of Mr. Grosso’s resolution is a bit arcane, and puzzles lots of folks. He suggests changing the team’s name to “Washington Redtails.” This is in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen, African American pilots of World War II. While more people should know about the Airmen, even the few who do don’t know that “Red Tails” was their nickname, unless they saw the flop movie of the same name.
More:
“D.C. Council may push Washington Redskins into ‘Washington Redtails,’” Tim Craig, Washington Post
“Redskins: The Clock Is Now Ticking on Changing the Name,” Dave Zirin, The Nation
“4 Reasons a Redskins Name Change Should Not Bother You,” Kevin Ewoldt, HogsHaven.com
“Native Americans speak on sports imagery,” Paul Lucas, ESPN
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Tags: David Grosso, District of Columbia, ethnic stereotypes, football, NFL, racial slurs, racism, Redskins
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