Washington (AFP)
The Washington Redskins' NFL (American Football Championship) team announced Friday that it will carry out an "in-depth examination" of the name of their team (the "Red Skins" in French), which has been criticized for many years for its racist connotation. .
"In light of recent events across the country and the feedback we have had from our community, the Washington Redskins are announcing that the team is going to take a hard look at their name," the NFL franchise said in a statement to AFP.
For years, if not decades, voices have been raised asking the team in the American capital to change its name and logo, but its owner, Daniel Snyder, has always refused, claiming that this nickname paid homage to the Amerindians .
Since the death of George Floyd at the end of May, and while the United States is in full examination of conscience and rethinking its relation to its racist past, the pressure - in particular economic - has increased further around the Redskins.
Earlier in the week, FedEx, which sponsors and gives its name to the team stage, officially asked the team to change their surname.
Friday, it is the equipment supplier Nike who stopped selling the team's derivative products on its website.
This review process, which could quickly lead to an outright abandonment of the name "Redskins", will allow the franchise to take into account "not only its proud tradition and history, but also the opinions of our former players, the "Organization, our sponsors, the NFL and the local community," said owner Daniel Snyder in the statement from his franchise.
© 2020 AFP