Thread by @jolingkent

With the Washington NFL team name change reportedly imminent, please watch our reporting on *why.*

“The r-word is the n-word and we can no longer tolerate this kind of hate speech in our society,' @crystalechohawk told me.

⬇️ Watch our @TODAYshow story produced by @CASottile

https://twitter.com/williegeist/status/1282341003534499840

Racist mascots inflict harm on the community per scientific research.

"I come from a football family," @CrystalEchoHawk. "We love it. But why would you want to be a part of a tradition when you as you start to learn that it's harmful to children, & harmful to another people?"

According to @UMich and @UCBerkeley, Native mascots and the way fans behave have resulted in:
- higher rates of depression
- higher rates of self-harm and substance abuse
- more discrimination in school

Especially for Native children.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.117…

Recently, @FedEx (owns naming rights to Washington NFL field) called for a rebrand. @target @amazon @Nike @Walmart removed team merch.

"I think money talks, money is what it's all about. We know that the native cultural appropriation is a billion dollar industry," @blackhorse_a.

Long-time movement leader @blackhorse_a told me that she believes new calls for racial equality should include Native people:

"It’s about murder. it's about genocide. It's about the violent acts that were committed against Native Americans during that time of westward expansion"

The longtime movement to get rid of these mascots is simple, @blackhorse_a tells me:

"They try to erase us...that just plays into what mascots do. They force people to look at us through these symbols...as historic people who aren't really deserving of human rights today."

@NFL

Btw recently the #Cleveland @MLB team manager Terry Francona reversed course on a name change:

“I know in the past.. I would answer saying I know we are not trying to be disrespectful.. But I don’t think that is a good enough answer today. I think it’s time to move forward"

I asked #Cleveland resident & Native American movement leader @cynconnolly what it's like to deal w this:

"It's exhausting. You are really surrounded by these toxic stereotypes everywhere you go..people do don head dresses at the stadium, paint their faces red, so redface.."

"There's been mouth slapping and all the stereotypes that you just wouldn't do if you were a caring person," @cynconnolly tells me about living in Cleveland. (Cynthia is from the Little Traverse City Band of Odawa Indians located in northern #Michigan.)

When we reached out to #Atlanta @MLB team, they wouldn't commit to a name change, only saying it "honors, supports and values the Native American community that will never change."

@cynconnolly's reaction: "Quite frankly, these mascots and these team names do not honor us..."

Native movement leaders need both Washington's name & mascot changed:

@blackhorse_a: "If a 100% rebrand were to happen very soon, I would be very, very happy. It would be a huge win, but we also still have a lot of work to do."

Aka more Native mascots in pro, college, HS sports

There's so much to report out here but for now, please watch our story, produced by our ultra talented, dedicated producer @CASottile and shot by @samwinslade & our crews nationwide: today.com/video/sports-t…

Big thank you to @WillieGeist + Team #SundayTODAY.