Nine leading national civil rights and racial justice organizations publicly opposed the relocation of the Washington Redskins‘ stadium.
The coalition, which previously denounced the use of the NFL team’s offensive mascot, felt compelled to speak out now that the organization is actively exploring potential stadium sites across the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
The R-word is the moral equivalent of the N-word, said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. It packs the same level of bigotry and insensitivity for Native Americans as any other racial slur. We cannot tolerate the NFLs continued commitment to normalizing this demeaning characterization of Native Americans. The success of the Washington football franchise does not depend on the name of its team, but rather the talent of its players and leadership. The NFL must abandon its tone-deaf culture as it relates to people of color and change the hurtful name of this team.
One potential location that the allied groups took offense to was the team’s former home, Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.
We applaud Events DCs decision to honor Robert Kennedys legacy of racial justice in this place in this way. The Washington NFL team and its symbol of racial injustice should be no part of it, said Janet Murgua, President and CEO of UnidosUS.
