Amended in Assembly August 14, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 168

Introduced by Assembly Members begin delete V. Manuel Pérez and end delete Alejo begin insert and V. Manuel Pérez end insert

August 4, 2014

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 168—Relative to Native begin delete Americans: NFL Football: Change the Mascot. end delete begin insert Americans. end insert

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 168, as amended, begin delete V. Manuel Pérez end delete   begin insert Alejo end insert . Native begin delete Americans. end delete begin insert Americans: NFL Football: Change the Mascot. end insert

This measure would urge the National Football League (NFL) to join with the Legislature and numerous organizations in calling for a name change for the Washington, D.C. NFL team, and calls upon the owners of NFL teams based in California to urge the owner of the Washington, D.C. NFL team and the NFL Commissioner to change the team mascot.

Fiscal committee: no.

begin insert

WHEREAS, California has the highest Native American
population in the country, with over 700,000 people who identify
themselves as Native American and over 109 federally recognized
Indian tribes; and

end insert

WHEREAS, The name used by the Washington, D.C. National
Football League (NFL) team is begin delete widely recognized as end delete begin insert believed by
some to be end insert a racial slur and begin delete promotes end delete begin insert to promote end insert discrimination
against Native Americans; and

WHEREAS, “Indian” sports brands used by professional teams
were born in an era when racism and bigotry were deemed
begin delete acceptable. These brands, which have grown to become
multi-million dollar franchises, were established at a time when
the practice of employing racial epithets and slurs as marketing
slogans was commonly used to capitalize on cultural superiority
and racial tensions; end delete begin insert acceptable; end insert and

WHEREAS, 50 United States Senators joined together to send
a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell demanding that, “It’s
time for the NFL to endorse a name change for the Washington,
D.C. football team”; and

WHEREAS, Dozens of groups representing millions of
Americans have asked NFL players to take a stand against the
Washington, D.C. NFL team’s use of the derogatory R-word; and

WHEREAS, On June 18, 2014, the United States Patent and
Trademark Office (USPTO) canceled the Washington, D.C. NFL
team’s federal trademark registration of the name “Washington
R____.” The USPTO ruling deemed the term “disparaging to
Native Americans,” and canceled the trademark status of the name.
Unless the Washington, D.C. NFL team successfully appeals, the
USPTO ruling would mean that the team has no legal ownership
over the term; and

WHEREAS, Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle,
city councils, top sports icons, civil rights groups, religious groups,
prominent journalists, and President Obama have all spoken out
against the team’s continued use of the epithet; now, therefore, be
it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature begin delete stands with the 109
federally recognized Indian tribes in California, which has the
highest Native American population in the country with over
700,000 people who identify themselves as Native American, and end delete
urges the National Football League (NFL) to join begin delete Indian Country,
The end delete begin insert the end insert National Congress of American begin delete Indians, end delete begin insert Indians end insert and other
organizations, which represent more than 2 million Native
Americans across the country and more than 300 tribes in the
United States, in calling for a name change for the Washington,
D.C. NFL team; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature calls upon the owners of NFL
teams based in California to urge the Washington, D.C. NFL team
owner Dan Snyder and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to
adhere to the wishes of the millions of people who have joined
Indian Country in urging that they change the team mascot; and
be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.