Commanders new ownership group making mistake in using offensive name
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Washington coach Ron Rivera was requested about how folks within the group have been once more utilizing the crew’s previous nickname, which is a dictionary-defined racial slur.
“Properly, I do know this,” Rivera said recently, “(Washington proprietor) Mr. (Josh) Harris and that possession group talked extensively about bringing again the glory. And once more, what Coach (Joe) Gibbs did, the traditions, that alumni group of fellows which are round. It is onerous to flee it. It truly is. That is simply the reality of the matter. Simply so all people is aware of, we do this with the utmost respect for the Native tribes and for the American Indian. Anytime that is introduced up, it’s introduced up with the utmost of respect.”
Besides, utilizing that phrase is not respectful. In any respect. In any method.
The Washington Occasions reported this month that Harris and different members have referenced the title on various events.
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Right here we go once more. This has been mentioned and litigated. Why are we doing this? Do the brand new homeowners perceive the ache that phrase could cause? I feel they do get it now however they’ve made an enormous mistake speaking concerning the nickname up thus far.
“For practically 90 years, this franchise had a special title, and lots of have fond recollections of cheering for that crew and watching it win three Tremendous Bowls,” a crew spokesperson mentioned in an announcement to USA TODAY Sports activities. “This doesn’t signify any shift in our strategy nor does it change the legitimate causes for dropping the title.”
All of this brings us to Crystal Echo Hawk.
Echo Hawk, the founder and government director of IllumiNative, was amongst a number of Native teams and folks on the forefront combating to vary the racist nickname. It was finally changed in 2020 and the brand new title was chosen quickly after that.
It is going to go down as probably the most profitable campaigns in sports activities historical past. But it surely did not come with no prolonged struggle that lasted a long time.
Extra backgroundHow Native women activists fought racist Washington team nickname and won | Opinion
However like others, Echo Hawk was alarmed on the growing use of the previous nickname by the brand new group. So she launched an announcement on Wednesday that’s poignant but additionally remarkably highly effective. It is lengthy however value studying in its entirety.
“It has come to our consideration that the brand new homeowners of the Washington Commanders have been referring to the crew with their previous crew title,” Echo Hawk mentioned within the assertion, obtained by USA TODAY Sports activities. “Allow us to be very clear–the R-word is the equal to the N-word for Native Individuals. The time period is a racial slur that’s deeply offensive and derogatory in the direction of our peoples. This can be very disheartening and, fairly frankly, exhausting that we proceed to have these conversations about Native mascots, when time and time once more Native peoples have made it clear that these mascots are racist and offensive. And it’s not simply Native peoples talking out in opposition to this, the #ChangeTheName motion in 2020 had hundreds of thousands of supporters…”
“That is actually emblematic of a bigger difficulty of ignorance on this nation, and we hope to make use of this second as an academic alternative with the Washington Commanders crew and the sports activities world extra broadly,” she mentioned. “Native mascots don’t honor our folks–they dehumanize us, objectify our tradition, and have been scientifically confirmed to decrease shallowness amongst Native youth.
“There isn’t a world through which the usage of the R phrase will not be dangerous, and the majority of Native youth under 34 do not believe that names like this honor Native people. We look ahead to this subsequent chapter of management for the Washington Commanders and hope that they don’t ignore the a long time of labor led by Native activists to get the title eliminated within the first place. This is a chance for Josh Harris, Magic Johnson, and the remainder of the possession group to take the crew’s dedication to finish systemic racism to coronary heart and convey the crew again to their ‘glory days’ with out perpetuating hurt in the direction of Native peoples.”
The R-word is problematic as a result of it is a slur. It has been one for many years if not longer. The Washington crew modified its title due to this. These are information. They know all these information.
Possibly they get it now but it surely ought to have by no means reached this level.
Hopefully it by no means will once more.
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