While I’m an avid despiser of the all too popular Black trinity strain of thought towards business creation (clothing company, high end liquor, and record label) there was a fairly recent time where I seriously pondered creating a t-shirt company of my own. It seemed simple enough, emblazon various fabric articles with some thought provoking lines and imagery, then behold self perceived majesty of my product in our eternally sinister highly fickle capitalist market.
Sadly “ILL T’s” never got off the ground.
It’s a shame really, for the world never got a chance to cop the illness that would have been my first sports edition featuring two works.
The New York Negros
And
The Carolina Crackers
A prejudicially themed shock clothing line Dame? We thought better of you.
Thankfully there is no need to infuse your perceptions of me with negative connotations. The whole idea behind the New York and Carolina T’s was to bring attention to the flat out disrespectful and inherently if not overtly, racist aspects of certain sports logos…
The Washington Redskins logo in particular.
Few symbols define the oblivious disrespect shown by the masses then the Redskins “logo”. As stoic as the Indian face seem while resting upon helmets, jackets and other merchandise, it screams of a conquered people now being reduced to caricature.
To self righteous you say? If the Pittsburgh Steelers were the Pittsburgh Redskins I wouldn’t care at all?
Well I must admit there once was a time where Florida St was my favorite College Team, I wished mightily that my high school would do the tomahawk chop at its football games, and I obviously didn’t care about the possible insensitivities of sports logos…
Excellence
Low cut fade stayed bushy...
We live and we grow.
Leaving the past behind to shed light on more current events, there was a intriguing ruling handed down regarding the Redskins logo recently. In 1992 a group of Native Americans brought a lawsuit against the Washington Redskins organization stating that its logo was racially offensive. Seventeen years later they are still fighting the Football behemoth, enduring a tough loss during legal proceedings last week.
What makes the U.S court of appeals ruling in favor the 3rd most valuable sports franchise in the world so interesting is the rationale behind it. While the plaintiffs in the case main argument against the Logo’s existence is its intrinsic insensitivity, the Redskins legal team brazenly ignored the question its position tried to posit and dehumanized its legal adversary with brutal fiscal honesty. Such financial candor happened to win the case the team representing the nation’s capital.
“The court agreed that the seven Native Americans waited too long to challenge the trademark first issued in 1967. The judge did not address whether the Redskins name is offensive or racist. She wrote that her decision was not based on the larger issue of “the appropriateness of Native American imagery for team names.”.
Viability of a patent over human dignity…hmmmmm
Redskins attorney Bob Raskopf said millions have been spent on the Redskins brand and the team would have suffered great economic loss if they lost the trademark registrations. “It’s a great day for the Redskins and their fans and their owner Dan Snyder,” he said.”
It’s highly ironic that the judge deemed “the appropriateness of Native American imagery for team names.” the larger issue of this case, when the rationale for the ruling itself seems to suggest that money was determining factor which would seemingly make it the dominant concern of those passing judgment. The practice of deft evasion has once again shown its usefulness. Instead of belittling its opposition with claims of “oversensitivity” or boldly defending its practice with any shreds of faux principle, the Redskins (ugghh) just flat out said “This is gonna cost us money!” giving the judges an out to mention but not discuss the non monetary impact of Washington’s football symbol.
Money over people is such a refined American tenet.
Residing in he D.C for the past 3 years has made me aware that
If I would have placed the “Stop wearing Native American Logos” on the back of my t’s and wore them around Washington zealots would be more than happy to express their displeasure towards me their fist.
And
Few people move themselves to a mental plane that allows them gain understanding or express empathy.
The fall will soon come and nearly every chartable demographic in the area will adorn Redskin paraphernalia. Devoid of anger because its not them, lacking perspective, because it easier that way.
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