Hundreds protest the Washington Redskins Name in Minneapolis

by Darren Kagigebi

On Thursday night, November 7, 2013, hundreds of Native Americans gathered outside the Metrodome, protesting the NFL team Washington Redskins, urging them to change their name. With helicopters flying overhead, the night started off with a chilly march from the American Indian Center to the Metrodome, led by AIM leader Clyde Bellecourt. Demonstrators carried signs, and flags that read “Racial slurs are not an honor,” which is in reference to a comment made by Washington’s owner Dan Synder, stating that the name Redskins “is a badge of honor.” Other signs read “Racism kills,” and “Racism is unsportsmanlike conduct.”

Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura was in attendance, and spoke to the crowd, saying that “the name is just plain wrong. “What would happen if a team in Birmingham, Alabama was named The Slaves and had an African American mascot, what kind of outrage would that be, well this is the same thing,” Ventura said. Also in attendance was former Minnesota Viking Joey Browner, and Native American Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills.

The day of the protest the Minneapolis City Council sent a letter to Dan Synder and the NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell, calling the team racist, and demanding the name changed. An article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune written by Randy Furst stated that current Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton said “I believe the name should be changed,” and calling the team’s name “racist,” and offensive.” In an interview published by the Associated Press back in early October, President Obama weighed in saying “If I were the owner of the team and I knew that there was a name of my team - even if it had a storied history - that was offending a sizeable group of people, I’d think about changing it.”