The Cleveland Indians are the latest sports team to announce their decision to reconsider their controversial name.
“We are committed to making a positive impact in our community and embrace our responsibility to advance social justice and equality,” the basketball team said in a public statement. “Our organization fully recognizes our team name is among the most visible ways in which we connect with the community.”
The team took on the name "Indians" 105 years ago, according to The Athletic. Back in 2019, in response to annual protests, the organization decided to retire the use of its racist Chief Wahoo logo. “We have had ongoing discussions organizationally on these issues. The recent unrest in our community and our country has only underscored the need for us to keep improving as an organization on issues of social justice,” the statement reads.
This follows news that the Washington Redskins are once again reevaluating their offensive name. It also comes at a time when conversations around America's dark history of racial oppression and tyranny are at the forefront of public discourse. Earlier on Friday, indigenous activists protested against Donald Trump’s rally at Mount Rushmore—a statue with ties to genocide and the stealing of native land.
Instead of changing the name outright, the team is going to be speaking with their players, fans, indigenous leaders, and other community members to make the decision. The move has prompted some fans to come up with alternative names for the team. “We are committed to engaging our community and appropriate stakeholders to determine the best path forward with regard to our team name," the team said.
