Despite Dan Snyder’slast-ditch lobbying effort, the Council on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a resolution urging the franchise to adopt a moniker that is not defined as a racial slur in mainstream dictionaries.
“To argue that we should keep the name because it ‘holds memories and meaning of where we came from and who we are’ is akin to saying to the Native American people that we don’t care, your pain has less worth than our football memories,” said David Grosso, the Council member who drafted the measure.
All Council members in the chamber for the vote lent their support to Grosso’s resolution, save Yvette Alexander, who voted “present.” Vincent Orange and Marion Barry, who told NBC4 yesterday that Snyder “ought to be ashamed of himself,” were absent.
From calls to a few Council members’ offices, it appears Snyder’s plea with fans to send in messages of support for the team’s name had scant results. Grosso’s office said it received about 225 emails—about evenly split between detractors and supporters for the name—but Council Chairman Phil Mendelson’s office reported receiving only 10 phone calls on the issue.
The resolution, of course, does not have any bearing on how Snyder runs the team. But Grosso says the vote is part of a “movement.” In his statement, he praised the media that have started omitting references to the team’s name. “Although I think it would be a huge statement to Snyder if the Washington Post stopped using the name,” he said.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
DC Council Tells Dan Snyder to Drop “Redskins”
The Council’s resolution doesn’t really have teeth, but its supporters say it’s part of a “movement.”
Despite Dan Snyder’s last-ditch lobbying effort, the Council on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a resolution urging the franchise to adopt a moniker that is not defined as a racial slur in mainstream dictionaries.
“To argue that we should keep the name because it ‘holds memories and meaning of where we came from and who we are’ is akin to saying to the Native American people that we don’t care, your pain has less worth than our football memories,” said David Grosso, the Council member who drafted the measure.
All Council members in the chamber for the vote lent their support to Grosso’s resolution, save Yvette Alexander, who voted “present.” Vincent Orange and Marion Barry, who told NBC4 yesterday that Snyder “ought to be ashamed of himself,” were absent.
From calls to a few Council members’ offices, it appears Snyder’s plea with fans to send in messages of support for the team’s name had scant results. Grosso’s office said it received about 225 emails—about evenly split between detractors and supporters for the name—but Council Chairman Phil Mendelson’s office reported receiving only 10 phone calls on the issue.
The resolution, of course, does not have any bearing on how Snyder runs the team. But Grosso says the vote is part of a “movement.” In his statement, he praised the media that have started omitting references to the team’s name. “Although I think it would be a huge statement to Snyder if the Washington Post stopped using the name,” he said.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People of 2025
Stumpy Stans Can Now Preorder a Bobblehead of the Beloved Tree
Johnson Says Congress Will Fix DC’s Budget Eventually, Pete Hegseth Used Signal More Than We Thought, and Locals Won Pulitzers
Slugging Makes a Comeback for DC Area Commuters
Trump Fires Librarian of Congress, Fox News Host to Be Next Top DC Prosecutor, Possibly Rabid Actual Fox Terrorizes Arlington
Washingtonian Magazine
May Issue: 52 Perfect Saturdays
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
DC Might Be Getting a Watergate Museum
DC-Area Universities Are Offering Trump Classes This Fall
Viral DC-Area Food Truck Flavor Hive Has It in the Bag
Slugging Makes a Comeback for DC Area Commuters
More from News & Politics
This Pop-Up Museum Is All About the Teenage Experience
Jeanine Pirro: 5 Things to Know About the Fox News Host Trump Picked to Be DC’s Top Prosecutor
Trump Fires Librarian of Congress, Fox News Host to Be Next Top DC Prosecutor, Possibly Rabid Actual Fox Terrorizes Arlington
9 Embassies to Check Out During the EU Open Houses This Weekend
Trump Yanks Ed Martin’s Nomination
“Les Miz” Castmembers Plan Boycott of Trump Appearance, Ed Martin Wants to Jail a Guy for Trespassing on Federal Property, and We Found Some Swell Turkish Food
DC Might Be Getting a Watergate Museum
The Ultimate Guide on How to Date in DC