The recent protests over the death of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter revived the decades-old debate over the name of Washington, D.C.’s NFL team.
The Washington Redskins participated on Twitter in Blackout Tuesday, posting a black square calling for racial equality.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez replied to the Redskins, commenting, “Want to really stand for racial justice? Change your name.”
“That has historically been used in abusive ways towards Native people, and for myself as a Native person, it’s not a term that I use,” she said.
Former Redskins offensive lineman Tre Johnson said he feels changing the team name is long overdue.
“I think it’s time for the change,” he said. “I think what better time than now considering the political and cultural landscape that we’re experiencing all over the country.”
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Former kicker Mark Moseley said he’s proud of the name. A few years ago, he was part of a group of former Redskins sent by team owner Daniel Snyder to meet with Native American leaders on reservations across the country.
“Based on what they told us that they were not upset with the Redskins, that they were big, big fans of the Redskins,” he said.
“The name has never bothered me,” former defensive tackle Darryl Grant said. “But you know, it’s a new day right now. But the name, I wore the name proudly, the Washington Redskins. I was proud to be a Washington Redskin and win championships.”
News4 called the Redskins organization several times requesting comment and has not received a reply.
