Policy Resolution LJE-15-42

Calling on the Washington Professional Football Team to Change Its Name
Law, Justice, and Ethics (LJE) Committee

WHEREAS, sports should be a unifier─bringing people together from all races, creeds, and colors as witnessed by major competitions, such as the FIFA World Cup, the World Series, the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup, the Super Bowl, the Olympic Games, and many more events;

WHEREAS, in the United States and around the world, sports are a universal language that unites people (from urban to suburban) and breaks down barriers whether they are ethnic, religious, economic, or social;

WHEREAS, rather than contributing to a spirit of unity, Washington’s National Football League (NFL) franchise causes strife with its racially divisive name “Redskins”;

WHEREAS, the football team currently known as the Washington Redskins was first established in 1932 as the Boston Braves, then changed its name to Boston Redskins in 1933, before finally moving to Washington in 1937;

WHEREAS, Merriam-Webster’s dictionary refers to the word as offensive, and is joined by numerous other reputable dictionaries;

WHEREAS, a number of tribes and tribal organizations have officially opposed the use of the “Redskins” epithet, including the Cherokee, Comanche, Oneida and Seminole tribes, as well as the National Congress of American Indians, the largest intertribal organization representing over 250 groups with a combined enrollment of 1.2 million people;

WHEREAS, the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators (NCNASL) passed a resolution earlier this year, calling for a “ban on the use of derogatory names and racist stereotypes as sports mascots and on state geographic sites,” and NCNASL stands firmly opposed to the “Redskins” as a team mascot; and

WHEREAS, the District of Columbia City Council has twice called on the Redskins to change its name, and recognized the name as “racist and derogatory”;

WHEREAS, in 2014, members of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus introduced House Joint Resolution 5 in the Maryland Legislature, urging the owners of the Washington professional football franchise to change the name of its team to one that is not offensive to Native Americans or any other group;

WHEREAS, in 2014, the California Assembly passed Assembly Concurrent Resolution 168, calling on the Washington football team to change its name;

WHEREAS, several national organizations, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights have passed resolutions officially denouncing the name of the Washington football team; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office cancelled the Washington Redskins’ trademark registration in 2014 because the team’s name and logo are disparaging to Native Americans.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) recognizes the unique power of sports to break down racial and ethnic barriers and play a vital role in uniting communities;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NBCSL opposes the use of “Redskins” by Washington’s NFL franchise;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NBCSL calls on the ownership to change the name, and the NFL to approve the change;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NBCSL urges state legislatures, National Football League (NFL), the National Football League Players Association, NFL team owners, NFL players, and others to join in opposition of the “Redskins” nickname, and pressure the owner where possible to change the name;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NBCSL supports and applauds the determination of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel the team’s trademarks; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials as appropriate.

  • SPONSORS: Delegate Talmadge Branch (MD), Representative Mike Shelton (OK),
    Representative Reginald Meeks (KY), Senator Anastasia Pittman (OK), Senator Donne Trotter
    (IL), and Delegate Michael Vaughn (MD)
  • Committee of Jurisdiction: Law, Justice, and Ethics Policy Committee
  • Certified by Committee Chair: Representative Reginald Meeks (KY)
  • Ratified in Plenary Session: Ratification Date is December 12, 2014
  • Ratification is certified by: Representative Joe Armstrong (TN), President