Fifty United States Senators, all Democrats or Independents, sent a letter to National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell today urging the NFL to endorse changing the racially-charged name of the Washington Redskins.
The action was led by Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Of the 47 other Senators who signed the letter, not a Republican was to be found among them.
"Today, we urge you and the National Football League to send the same clear message as the NBA did: that racism and bigotry have no place in professional sports," the senators write. "It's time for the NFL to endorse a name change for the Washington, D.C. football team.
"The despicable comments made by Mr. Sterling have opened up a national conversation about race relations. We believe this conversation is an opportunity for the NFL to take action to remove the racial slur from the name of one of its marquee franchises."
An NFL spokesman responded to the letter with lip-service, claiming that the name Redskins reflected nothing but effusive praise and high respect for Native Americans.
"We have not received the letter, but the NFL has long demonstrated a commitment to progressive leadership on issues of diversity and inclusion, both on and off the field," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. "The intent of the team's name has always been to present a strong, positive and respectful image. The team name is not used by the team or the NFL in any other context, though we respect those that view it differently."
The Oneida Indian Nation who has long fought for a change to this racist epithet
responded with high praise for the effort.
“Washington team owner Dan Snyder and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell have claimed that using the R-word epithet somehow honors Native peoples, but it is quite the opposite," said Halbritter. "The R-word is a dictionary defined racial slur, which likely explains why avowed segregationist George Preston Marshall decided to use the term as the team's name. Continuing an infamous segregationist's legacy by promoting such a slur is not an honor, as Mr. Snyder and Mr. Goodell claim. It is a malicious insult. That is why leaders in the Senate, in the House of Representatives, in the White House, and at all levels of government across the country are uniting in opposition to this offensive and hurtful name.”
The owner of the team, Dan Snyder, has been digging his heals in against calls to change this bigoted name for over 14 years. Enough is enough. The NFL needs to follow the example set by the NBA in the Sterling case and put an end to this sanctioned racism.