The “Redskins” team name has brought much attention over the last few weeks and, on Monday, Washington’s NFL franchise announced it was retiring the mascot and logo. But there are still five Illinois high schools that use the controversial nickname. NBC News business and technology correspondent Jo Ling Kent says the issue is not just about the names of major league sports teams.
It’s unclear when a new name will be picked, as copyrights are pending. The move comes less than two weeks after FedEx, the company that owns the naming rights to the stadium the team plays in, asked the franchise to change the nickname. Other sponsors also asked the team to change the nickname as well. The team had announced on July 3rd a “thorough review” process was being conducted. The team’s moniker had long been decried as racist.
The five Illinois high schools that still use the “Redskins” name are Morris, Nokomis, Momence, Wolf Lake Shawnee, and Sullivan.