On MLK Day, NFL-Allied Civil Rights Group Calls For ‘Redskins’ Name Change

The Fritz Pollard Alliance, a major civil rights group with close ties to the NFL, on Monday publicly announced its opposition to the name of the Washington Redskins.

The group made the announcement in a letter to its members and representatives, made up of minority head coaches and executives across the league, sent to coincide with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Washington Post reported.

“We have to take a stand. That name has to be changed. We can’t just leave it up to [the team]. We think it’s disrespectful. We think it’s, by definition, demeaning,” the letter read. “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. It hurts the League and it hurts us all.”

According to the Post, the letter was co-signed by the group’s leaders, former Washington offensive lineman John Wooten and Hall of Fame New York Giants linebacker Harry Carson.

http://thinkprogress.org/sports/2015/01/19/3612982/on-mlk-day-nfl-allied-civil-rights-group-calls-for-redskins-name-change/