Lakhota
Diamond Member
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Theres a debate brewingyet againabout whether the name of Washingtons football team is racist. Of course it is, says Michael Tomasky.
When George Preston Marshall died in 1969, he left some money to his children but directed that the bulk of his estate be used to set up a foundation in his name. He attached, however, one firm condition: that the foundation, operating out of Washington, D.C., should not direct a single dollar toward any purpose which supports or employs the principle of racial integration in any form. Think about that. This was not 1929 or 1949. Even in 1960 such a diktat might have been, well, understandable in a Southern city such as Washington then was. But 1969; in any form.
This is the man who gave the Washington Redskins their name. He was one of the most despicable racists in the American sporting arena of the entire 20th century. He thought Redskins was funny, just as he thought the war paint and feather headdress he made the head coach wear were funny. And this is the legacy that current Redskins owner Dan Snyder wants to uphold?
Youve been reading about this name lately. More and more people are calling for the team to change it. There is legislation in Congress, based on the fact that under trademark legislation passed in 1946, a corporate mark cant be disparaging of a people or group. Snyder says hell change the name approximately never (and you can put that in all caps). Most Americans, and most Redskins fans, agree with him. But all that shows is that those Americans and fans dont know the history. Snyder, presumably, does. He should be ashamed.
Marshall had made a fortune in the commercial laundry business when he purchased the Boston Braves football team in 1932. His second coach was a man whose mother was thought to be part Sioux. Not known to bethought to be. And on that flimsy basis, Marshall changed the name, in this coachs honor (even though Marshall fired him after two seasons), from Braves to Redskins. It seems telling that Braves was somehow not authentic enough for Marshall.
Most famously of all, Marshall was the last owner to accept a black playerfully 15 years after the ban was lifted. And his team drafted an African-American then (in 1961) only because it was forced to by the governmentthe then-new stadium that we call RFK Stadium today was built on Department of Interior land, which permitted the Kennedy administration to order the lessee (the team) to adhere to federal nondiscrimination policies. In other words, Marshall wasnt merely a standard-issue racist of the time, like H.L. Mencken or countless others. He was diseased. He seethed with hatred of nonwhite people. And Redskins is his handiwork. Because Braves wasnt quite descriptive enough.
Now, I should note: Redskin is not the equivalent of the N word, as some are saying. The N word is in a class by itself, at least in this country, and so that comparison is self-discrediting. I saw Eleanor Holmes Norton on TV the other day make it. She should stop.
However, consider this. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, Redskin is labeled usually offensive. Other words to which M-W appends that description are ****, dago, and darky. Lets all imagine, for the sake of argument, that the journeyman coach Marshall wished to honor had had a mother of possible Jewish, Italian, or African descent. How long do you suppose the name Washington Kikes, Washington Dagoes, or Washington Darkies would have lasted?
Not long. But Redskins lasts only because white people dont know its offensive and dont particularly care to stop and think about how and why it might be. They dont know that it refers to the scalps (and skulls and corpses) of Native Americans, butchered by bounty hunters and delivered by the wagon-full to collect their payments from local authorities whod authorized the kills. This recent poll that 79 percent of Americans arent bothered by the teams name doesnt impress me. All it means is that 79 percent of Americans need a history lesson.
More: The Racist Redskins - The Daily Beast
I was never offended by the name of the Washington Redskins - until I read this article. I had no idea the team was so-named by such an evil, racist bastard. Now, I despise the name and strongly advocate that it be changed.