The Redskins organization was founded in 1933 by George Preston Marshall, the owner
of the Boston Braves at the time, with four Native American players. Although it may seem that
the Redskins were created with racial diversity and acceptance in mind, this conception is false.
In fact, the Washington Redskins, were known as the most racist team in the NFL. Claims that
they are racist can be supported by George Preston Marshall’s behavior. The Redskins moved to
Washington D.C in 1937 and were the
last team to allow African Americans to
be signed onto their roster. The
Washington Redskins did not integrate
African Americans onto their team until
1962 while most other teams integrated
in 1945. The National Public Radio writes that the only reason the Washington Redskins
integrated was because Robert F. Kennedy’s interior staff member, Stewart Udall, demanded that
if the Redskins wanted to use the stadium in Washington D.C then they had to draft or trade for
an African- American player. The Redskins team was created by a racist man, and as shown in
the picture below Redskins fans aligned their ideals with Nazi values causing them to act without
honor and integrity of not only the Native Americans, but also other minorities as well.
Scott Clement, writer for the Washington Post, writes that the current Redskins owner, “.
. . Daniel Snyder has refused to change that name, arguing that the name honors Native
Americans.” This false claim by Daniel Snyder may seem like a good reason to keep the name
but in reality, if the Washington Redskins had to change their name, the entire organization could
lose millions of dollars. They would have to rebrand, change all of their equipment and gain new
patents and trademarks on the new team name and logos. Therefore, the Redskins owner, Daniel
Snyder could be protecting himself and his wallet rather than actually caring about whether the
team’s name is derogative and a racial slur.
The general opinion of American citizens is trending towards favoring a name change. A
study conducted by the Washington Post reveals that the overall consensus to change the
Redskins name has risen over 15% in the past twenty years: from a mere 8% in 1992 to 23% in
2014 (Washington Post). This steady increase can be explained by more awareness and people in
the Native American community speaking up about the negative impact this team name has
brought on them. The Washington Redskins, “. . . makes all tribes seem like one,” writes Bruce
Anderson, former defensive end for the Washington Redskins. Along with this Anderson argues
that, “It confuses my race with a brand name. Would it be okay to have the Washington African
Americans? Or the Washington Jews? There is no right word for an entire race or religion when
it comes to naming a sports team.” This insight from a Native American football player describes
how he had been stereotyped more because of his involvement in the Redskins. He later goes on
to write about the difficulties of having his children grow up with the stereotypes and slurs
created from the Redskins such as the Native American chants during halftime. Barbara Munson,
a member of the Oneida Nation, writes in her essay, “Common Themes and Questions about the
Use of “Indian” Logos” that these halftime shows are “…no less than a mockery of our
cultures.” Bruce Anderson not only played for the Washington Redskins, but was also a victim
to the stereotypes that the Redskins had created. He is put into the melting pot that all Indian
tribes are the same, taking away from the traditions that separate each indigenous tribe across the
country.