Slate editor David Plotz declared Thursday that the online news magazine will no longer refer to the Washington Redskins by their controversial nickname.
“This is the last Slate article that will refer to the Washington NFL team as the Redskins,” Plotz wrote.
Although Slate will not strike the word “Redskins” from any quotes, Plotz wrote that “it’s easy enough to substitute ‘Washington’ or ‘Washington’s NFL team.’”
Critics have long called for the team to change its name, citing its offensive nature to American Indians. The calls for a name change have gained steam in recent months, with ten members of Congress sending a letter to Redskins owner Daniel Snyder in May urging him to drop the Redskins. But Joe Theismann, the former Redskins quarterback who guided the team to a Super Bowl win in 1983, said in June that the nickname should be viewed as an “honor” to “Native people.”
