Washington---A prominent US civil rights group is calling for the Washington Redskins to change its name, in a boost for opponents of the American football team's racially tinged moniker, the Washington Post reported Monday.
Leaders of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which works with the National Football League (NFL) to promote diversity in the league, told the Post that they had for months tried without success to persuade Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to meet with Native Americans opposed to the team's name.
"As the NFL continues to move in the direction of respect and dignity, one of its teams carrying this name cuts glaringly against the grain," reads a letter co-signed by the group's chairman, John Wooten, according to the Post.
"It hurts the league and it hurts us all," he added.
The alliance said it had chosen Monday, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day in America, to publicly voice its opposition to the name for maximum impact. King is one of the country's most famous civil rights figures.
Snyder has defied growing pressure for a name change, arguing that the moniker of the US capital's beloved American football team actually honors Native Americans.
In a statement to the Post, Redskins spokesman Tony Wylie said the team was dismayed by the alliance's position.
"We've had many conversations with the FPA about the name issue and are disappointed in their decision," he said.
"They ignored the outstanding support we have received from Native Americans across this country for the Washington Redskins and the Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation during their decision making process."
The alliance adds its weight to a growing body of opponents to the name, including President Barack Obama and 50 US Senators.
Many American sports teams have names that supposedly pay homage to the popular Hollywood image of American Indians as brave warriors.
Redskins, however, is defined in many dictionaries as a racial slur. It dates to the earliest days of white European settlement and the mass displacement of indigenous tribes.
AFP
