Expect a busy night Thursday in Minneapolis when the Minnesota Vikings (5-2) host the Washington Redskins (1-6) at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Along with a losing record, Washington brings with them controversy over their continued use of the Redskins name. David Glass at the of the National Coalition Against Racism in Sports and Media will be part of the protests. He recently spoke with WCCO's Roshini Rajkumar during News and Views.
"Using these kinds of names and using the term 'Redskin' is a piece of dark history," Glass told Rajkumar. "It's totally disrespectful. Not only for our people, but for our whole country."
The team originally began as the Boston Braves in 1932, but became the Redskins one year later. The organization moved to Washington D.C. in 1937 and have remained there since.
Glass says there are alternatives to honoring Native American history and that doesn't include sports names.
"You can honor us by teaching accurate history," he said. "I ask people 'How many reservations are there in Minnesota?' and 99 percent of the folks I ask aren't able to answer it accurately. There's 11. Why don't we know that? It's as simple as that."
Professional teams have recently taken steps to distance themselves from elements associated with controversial homage to Native Americans, including the Atlanta Braves iconic Tomahawk Chop, which was scrutinized by St. Louis Cardinals pitcher, Ryan Hensley. Hensley called the tradition disappointing and disrespectful to his Cherokee heritage.
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Glass says that's just one example of how many teams, mostly amateur, are changing their tone.
"We've been responsible for changing names and mascots for over 3,000 high schools, universities, and colleges throughout the country," he said. "Most recently, Cleveland changed the caricature of Chief Wahoo in Major League Baseball, which is a totally idiotic caricature of who we are as a people."
Thursday night's 'Not Your Mascot' rally protesting Redskins name will be outside of U.S. Bank Stadium and will be attended by Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey.
Kickoff between the two teams is set for 7:20 p.m.
