R Word

Eighty years ago, on December 13, 1936, the Boston franchise of the National Football League (NFL) played its last game.  The following year it would move to the nation’s capital, Washington, D. C. where it has remained ever since.  In 1933, while still in Boston, the nickname of this football team was changed from the Braves (the same as that of the local National League baseball team, now in Atlanta after a stopover in Milwaukee) to the Redskins (referring to the color of an Indian’s skin), or what I will call the “R word,” because I believe it to be both racist and offensive and in the same category as the “N word.”  The new name was the creation of the team’s owner, George Preston Marshall.

Why the R word?  Perhaps it was because the coach, “Lone Star” Dietz, was part Native American.  Or perhaps it was because there were four Native American players on the team in 1933. 

Is the R word racist?  First, let’s look at the history of its creator, Marshall.  While other NFL teams starting intergrating their rosters with black players after World War II, Marshall refused to do so until forced to in 1962.  His was the last NFL team to do so. 

“Finally, Interior Secretary Stewart Udall and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy issued an ultimatum — unless Marshall signed a black player, the government would revoke the Redskins' 30-year lease on the year-old D.C. Stadium (now Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium), which had been paid for by government money and was owned by the Washington city government (which, then as now, is formally an arm of the federal government). Marshall's chief response was to make Ernie Davis, Syracuse's all-American running back, his number-one draft choice for 1962. Davis, however, demanded a trade, saying, "I won't play for that S.O.B.”  He got his wish, as the team sent him to Cleveland for All-Pro Bobby Mitchell. Mitchell was the first African American football player to play a game for the Redskins (R word), and he played with the team for several years.”

“Over 115 professional organizations representing civil rights, educational, athletic, and scientific experts have published resolutions or policies that state that the use of Native American names (such as the R word) and/or symbols by non-native sports teams is a harmful form of ethnic stereotyping that promote misunderstanding and prejudice which contributes to other problems faced by Native Americans.”

“Support for continued use of the name has come from the team's owners and a majority of fans, which include some Native Americans. Supporters say that the name honors the achievements and virtues of Native Americans, and that it is not intended in a negative manner.”

“On June 18, 2014, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board voted to cancel the six trademarks held by the team in a two to one decision that held that the term "redskins" is disparaging to a "substantial composite of Native Americans", and this is demonstrated "by the near complete drop-off in usage of 'redskins' as a reference to Native Americans beginning in the 1960s."  The team retains other rights under common law, but must enforce them without Federal government assistance.”

“On July 8, 2015, District Court Judge Lee affirmed the decision of the TTAB, denying the team's summary judgment motions, finding that "the evidence before the Court supports the legal conclusion that ... the Redskin Marks consisted of matter that 'may disparage' a substantial composite of Native Americans." The decision does not bar the team from using the marks and taking other steps to protect other rights to their brand.”

Many college teams have changed their nicknames in order not to be offensive.  This would include Dartmouth College (Indians to Big Green),  Stanford University (Indians to Cardinal), and Miami University of Ohio    (R word to RedHawks). 

The management of the NFL’s Washington franchise refuses to change its nickname.  The controversy continues to swirl around the team.  Some in the media have refused to use the R word in print or over the air.  Personally, I agree with Washington Post columnist, Charles Krauthammer’s analysis: 

“Words don’t stand still. They evolve.  Fifty years ago the preferred, most respectful term for African Americans was Negro. The word appears 15 times in Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech. Negro replaced a long list of insulting words in common use during decades of public and legal discrimination.”

“And then, for complicated historical reasons (having to do with the black power and “black is beautiful” movements), usage changed. The preferred term is now black or African American. With a rare few legacy exceptions, Negro carries an unmistakably patronizing and demeaning tone.”

“Upon being informed how the word had changed in nuance, you would stop using it and choose another.  And here’s the key point: You would stop because of the word was tainted, freighted with negative connotations with which you would not want to be associated.  Proof? You wouldn’t even use the word in private, where being harassed for political incorrectness is not an issue.”

“No matter how the word (Redskins) was used 80 years ago, it carries invidious connotations today.  Why (change the name)?  Simple decency. I wouldn’t want to use a word that defines a people — living or dead, offended or not — in a most demeaning way.  It’s a question not of who or how many had their feelings hurt, but of whether you want to associate yourself with a word that, for whatever historical reason having nothing to do with you, carries inherently derogatory connotations.”

“If you shot a remake of 1934’s “The Gay Divorcee (movie),” you’d have to change that title, too.”

Recently, the Cleveland Indians baseball team decided to significantly downgrade the use of their “Chief Yahoo” logo which many consider to be offensive.  NFL Washington, please take note.  

I first became aware of the controversy many years ago when I saw a poster critical of the R word which tried to compare it with some suggested possibilities for new team names, such as the Hartford Himeys.  As a Jew, I wouldn’t be happy with that nickname, even if it had been a tradition for more than eighty years.