The California state assembly on Monday overwhelmingly approved legislation that would ban “Redskins” as a nickname for high school sports teams, bringing the elimination of such names from the state one step closer. The assembly approved AB30, introduced by Assemblyman Luis Alejo (D) in December, 60 to 9, the Associated Press reported.
The bill will now head to the state senate; if it passes and Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs it into law, it would affect four of the state’s high schools. The legislation would make California the first state to enact a ban on the name that has drawn increased scrutiny across the nation — schools in at least seven states have faced calls to drop “Redskins” or other Native American mascots this year alone — especially as the controversy over the name of Washington’s NFL franchise has escalated.
“California has the largest number of Native Americans in the country, it’s time we as a state take a stand against racial slurs used by our public schools,” Alejo said in a statement on his web site. “This is part of a national movement and now is the time for us here in California to end the use of this derogatory term in our public schools.”
Both California legislative bodies approved a similar bill in 2004, but then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzanegger (R) vetoed it. California’s legislature last year approved a resolution against the name of Washington’s team.
As in states like New York, the use of the name in California schools has drawn opposition from Native American tribes, students, and other local residents. Dahkota Kicking Bear Brown, a Native American student at Argonaut High School near Sacramento, has spoken out against it nationwide and helped gather letters of support for Alejo’s legislation from tribal leaders and others interested in the issue. Calaveras High School, one of four that still use the name, is one of Argonaut’s local rivals.
“The amount of pain felt by our Native youth outweighs the pain of any dedicated racist mascot fans by an immeasurable amount,” Brown said last year an event in Washington (hosted by the parent company of this site). “It’s time for a change.”
School districts that still use the name, however, have attempted to organize opposition against the legislation.
In a statement issued after a committee approved the bill last week, the Change The Mascot campaign, which formed after a New York high school changed its name and has targeted its continued use in the NFL, applauded “California’s lawmakers for standing up for what is right and attempting to protect the civil rights of the state’s Native Americans.”
“This legislation is a constructive step in the right direction and a shining example of what happens when leaders choose to stand on the right side of history,” the statement said. “The actions of California’s political leaders stands in stark contrast to the actions of Washington NFL team, who in the face of all evidence that this term offends and demeans Native Americans, continues to defend and promote it for their own financial gain.”
Washington’s NFL team is awaiting a trial over its name, after the U.S. Patent and Trade Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeals Board invalidated six of its federal trademark protections last June. That trial is scheduled to begin next month.