United Church of Christ Press Release Regarding Cleveland Indians Mascot

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CIVIL RIGHTS JOURNAL
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
COMMISSION FOR RACIAL JUSTICE	
700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115-1110 • (21 ^ 736-2168 • FAX: 736-2171 Bemice Powell Jackson, Executive Director • DeBorah White, Publication Assistant
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 24, 2000
CIVIL RIGHTS JOURNAL #0313
LIVING IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM: CHIEF WAHOO MUST GO
by Bernice Powell Jackson
It is so important that as we live into this new millennium that we do not take our old baggage with us. There are some good and wonderful foundation stones which are important to carry forward and there are some other parts of our human society and condition and history that, for the sake of our children and our future, are better left behind. Racism is certainly one that we have an opportunity to end right now. What better way to begin a new millennium than with a new understanding and respect for all of God's children, what better way than to end racism.
Here in Cleveland, v^ere I live, one way to begin that new millennium with a clean slate would be for the new owner of the Cleveland Indians to get rid of that racist Chief Wahoo logo and to change the name of the Cleveland baseball team. Each year for the past six or seven years I have joined our native American brothers and sisters and others from the Cleveland area in protesting the use of the racist symbol of Chief Wahoo. Each year we stand outside the stadium, and hear people yell at us to "go back home." The irony of telling a native American to go back home is never understood by them it seems.