ANC2B Urges Redskins Name Change

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont Circle passed a resolution supporting a DC City Council call to change the name of the Washington Redskins. The ANC resolution was passed 8-0, with one abstention, at a regular monthly meeting on October 9.

The 'skins in 2005 (Wikipedia)

The resolution is the first by a DC government body to condemn the Redskins' team name, according to ANC2B Commissioner Kishan Putta (district 04). Since the vote, Putta said in an interview later, ANC2B has received support from members of other ANCs. Putta also said other ANC may soon join ANC2B in passing resolutions condemning the team name.

In a statement before the vote, Putta noted that, of all names of sports team, "Redskins" is the only word which is listed in the dictionary as "offensive". Putta also cited Martin Luther King Jr.'s remark concerning judging people not by the color of their skins, but the content of their character.

The DC City Council resolution is proposed by Councilmember David Grosso (I - At Large). The council will vote on Grosso's sense-of-the-Council resolution on November 5, according to information on Twitter. Eight other Councilmembers have already indicated they will support the resolution.


A .pdf copy of the resolution is available here.

Abigail Nichols (district 05) was the abstaining Commissioner.