(Bloomberg) -- It took a year-and-a-half but the Washington Football Team will finally announce a new name next month after abandoning its old branding, an offensive slur toward Native Americans, in July 2020.
Team president Jason Wright said the team is “in the homestretch of our rebrand journey” in a Tuesday press release, and will unveil the change on Feb. 2.
“While we've always understood it would be a nearly impossible task to select a name that all of our fans would identify with as their first pick, we are very excited about our final selection, which aligns with our values, carries forth our rich history, represents the region and, most importantly, is inspired and informed by you, our fans,” Wright, a former National Football League player and the first Black team president in NFL history, said. He added that the team would not adopt the “Wolves” or “RedWolves” names, two fan-favorites, for legal reasons.
The push for a new name has been decades in the making. Native activists filed multiple lawsuits over the years, but it wasn't until widespread pressure from retailers and sponsors following nationwide Black Lives Matter protests that the club decided to review and ultimately pull its branding. Dan Snyder, the team's owner, previously said he would “NEVER” change the name.
According to a 2018 report by the Native-led group IllumiNatives, four out of five Native respondents in focus groups said they were offended by the use of Native-themed mascots. Other major sports teams changed their names or removed mascots following the outcry in 2020, but some remain.
In 2019, the state of Maine banned the use of Native mascots, team names, and other imagery for public and state schools. Other states have since followed suit.
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