After weeks of demands for change and an internal review, Dan Snyder and the Washington Redskins organization have agreed to retire the 87-year-old team name.
On July 3 amid distancing from Nike, FedEx and Pepsi Co. along with a name change requirement from lawmakers if the Washington franchise wanted to move into RFK Stadium in Washington D.C., Snyder moved to conduct a “thorough review” of the team name that has long been an issue in the Native American community.
Prior to the announcement, Nike and Amazon removed all Redskins brand merchandise from their online catalog.
A new team name is expected to be announced along with the retirement on Monday. According to ESPN, the team will retain the burgundy and gold team colors but change all imagery related to Native Americans.
In 2013, majority owner Dan Snyder told USA Today that he would “never change the name” but a new pressure campaign that was supported by activists, politicians and businesses essentially forced the change. New Head Coach Ron Rivera quickly got behind the movement to finally change the team name.
The renewed energy in forcing the change came after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd’s death became symbolic of the marginalization of the Black community. As several other brands like Uncle Ben, Aunt Jemima, etc. began removing racial insensitivities from its products, the Washington Franchise became a target of the moment.
