Several NFL broadcasters have agreed not to say “Redskins” on the air anymore. A Native American group is urging hundreds of broadcasters to join the movement.
In a letter sent by the National Congress of American Indians and co-signed by dozens of civil rights and religious organizations, broadcasters are asked not to use the term, which “has been used to disparage Native Americans.”
“We have a growing list of news outlets and personalities against the name,” Joel Barkin, the Oneida Indian Nation’s spokesman, told the Washington Post. “Now we have people [such as] Lisa Salters from ESPN, Phil Simms and James Brown from CBS, and Tony Dungy from NBC. For people who are thoughtful and take an objective look at the issue, more than likely they’re saying, ‘Why should I use a name if I know it’s going to offend a group of people?’”
That’s a question more and more media outlets are asking. The New York Daily News just announced that it will no longer use the name, and that seems to be the direction that many members of the media are heading.