Anti-Defamation League Welcomes Redskins Trademark Blow
The Anti-Defamation League welcomed the cancellation of the Washington Redskins trademark by the federal patent office.
“The decision by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office represents a significant step forward in fighting prejudice, discrimination and hurtful stereotypes, particularly in the professional sports arena,” the ADL said in a statement Wednesday, after the announcement of the revocation.
“The Washington Redskins name is deeply offensive to Native Americans, reinforces racial stereotypes, and promotes bigotry,” the statement said.
The ADL has joined a number of initiatives to persuade the NFL franchise to change its name, most recently signing a letter to every NFL player to speak out in favor of a change.
The patent office’s decision does not immediately deprive the team of rights to the name. The decision must first exhaust appeals, and even in the event it is upheld, the Redskins may be able to invoke some legal protections.
The team’s owner, Dan Snyder, is Jewish. He has resisted pressure to change the name.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30