Las Vegas, you have got to do better.
So we’re going to act like a child with black warpaint and a headdress during the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Las Vegas Raiders game didn’t it happen, or act like it wasn’t broadcast on TV? What makes it worse: the child wore a Native American headdress.
The game was played on CBS, which has explaining to do because the NFL doesn’t tolerate racist symbolism. The league in the post-Kaepernick kneeling era allows the players to choose from six messages players in the helmet decal program: “End Racism,” “Stop Hate,” “It Takes All of Us,” “Black Lives Matter,” “Inspire Change,” and “Say Their Stories.”
The NFL also needs a program for the fans; oh, that’s right, some teams already have one.
Don’t Blame The Chiefs
In 2020, the Kansas City Chiefs introduced new policies geared toward raising awareness of American Indian cultures and celebrating “the rich traditions of tribes with a historic connection to the Kansas City area,” the team said in a statement.
As a result, fans are prohibited from wearing headdresses to Arrowhead Stadium. However, according to NFL.com, while face painting will still be allowed, “any face paint that is styled in a way that references or appropriates American Indian cultures and traditions will be prohibited.”
Sensitivity to African-American racial tropes went over everyone’s head on Sunday. The fact that it happened at Allehiant Stadium in Las Vegas is even more ironic as the team is proud to be the only franchise with an African-American head coach, general manager, and president.
Do Better Raiders
The Raiders organization can take a page out of the Chiefs’ book and continue, “Fans will be asked to remove any American Indian-themed face paint prior to passing security screening outside the stadium,” per the policy.
The franchise “engaged in a thorough review process of” the “Arrowhead Chop” chant and promised “to have additional discussions in the future,” to review the beating of the large drum from the Drum Deck.
“This includes discussions around how to shift the focus of the drum to something that symbolizes the heartbeat of the stadium,” per the statement.
America cannot escape the racial atrocities baked into the country’s DNA. Still, between parents who should be ashamed, broadcasters who need to choose their crowd shots more strategically, and the Las Vegas Raiders, who are new to this level of fan scrutiny, all parties involved have got to do better.
