Adidas wants to pay US schools to ditch Native American mascots
High schools wishing to change team names and symbols offensive to Native Americans would get funding and support.
High schools wishing to change team names and symbols offensive to Native Americans would get funding and support.
Adidas added its name to a growing chorus of discontent over the use of Native American names and mascots in American sports.
The German sports apparel company this week released a plan at the White House Tribal Nations Conference to encourage schools to change mascots or other symbols representing Native Americans in derogatory ways.
Adidas says it will give free design assistance for institutions agreeing to switch their logos and 鈥渨ho want to change their identity to ensure the transition is not cost prohibitive.鈥�
鈥淪ports have the power to change lives,鈥� said Eric Liedtke, an adidas board member.
The company said there are 2,000 high schools still using Native American names and symbols out of the country鈥檚 more than 27,000.聽
The advocacy group聽Change the Mascot praised adidas鈥� announcement as a 鈥渢remendous display of corporate leadership鈥� and encouraged other companies to follow suit, including FedEx, whose name is affixed to the Washington Redskins stadium.
鈥淭his remarkable stand against racism by adidas illustrates that the issue of ending the use of the R-word is not going away, but is instead gaining momentum as people understand the damaging impacts of this racial slur,鈥� the Change the Mascot statement reads.
The owner of the Washington NFL franchise, Daniel Snyder, has refused to change the team鈥檚 name or its logo despite a barrage of criticism from Native Americans and rights groups.聽Mr. Snyder also has had the support of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who noted the name鈥檚 ability to bring fans together.
Last year, Snyder told聽ESPN聽that his team鈥檚 name is a聽term of honor and respect. He cited William Henry 鈥淟one Star鈥� Dietz, the team鈥檚 first coach and namesake, and Walter 鈥淏lackie鈥� Wetzel, a former president of the National Congress of American Indians and chairman of the Blackfeet Nation, who helped design and approve the team鈥檚 logo.
A June 2014 Rasmussen Reports poll found 60 percent of respondents said the team聽should not change its name. Similarly, a September 2014 poll conducted by Langer Research for ESPN found 71 percent in favor of keeping the name and that 68 percent聽think the name is not disrespectful聽of Native Americans, as 海角大神 reported.
How do Native Americans today feel about the name?
The Center for Indigenous Peoples Studies at California State University in San Bernardino surveyed 400 individuals, 98 of them Native Americans, and found that聽67 percent of Native Americans agreed聽the 鈥淩edskins team name is a racial or racist word and symbol.鈥� Whites were 32.8 percent in agreement that the name was racial or racist.
Adidas鈥� North American president, Mark King, said that the idea behind the decision to offer free design changes was that sports teams 鈥� often viewed as the heart of a community 鈥� should be inclusive to all.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to create a climate that feels open to everyone,鈥� Mr. King said.
High schools wishing to amend their mascots can email Adidas at mascotchange@adidas.com.聽
This report contains material from the Associated Press.