Washington Redskins confirm name to be changed

The Washington Redskins confirm the team is changing its name following pressure from sponsors over a word widely criticized as a racist slur against Native Americans.

Washington announced earlier this month that the Redskins name had been placed under review after a wave of rallies against racial injustice swept across the United States following George Floyd’s death on May 25.

“Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the Redskins name and logo upon completion of this review,” the NFL team says in a statement.

A replacement name was still being worked upon, the statement adds.

Washington owner Dan Snyder had long resisted calls to change the team’s name but faced mounting demands to rethink that position as protests erupted against systemic racism after the death of unarmed African-American man Floyd during his arrest by police in Minneapolis.

— AFP