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The United Church of Christ in the Mid-Atlantic will vote June 14 on a boycott of the Washington NFL team due to its racist mascot.

The Central Atlantic Conference of the UCC passed a resolution that calls on the 185 congregations in five states, plus the District of Columbia, to debate the matter. Members would not attend games and would not wear, purchase or display the team's paraphernalia if the churches adopt the boycott next week.

The Rev. John R. Deckenback, who is in charge of the Mid-Atlantic region, said the NFL team's chief financial officer called him yesterday morning to discuss the issue. Three men from the Blackfeet Nation of Montana -- including Don Wetzel, who claims his father designed and approved the logo -- were patched through to defend the racist mascot.

“I thought it was [a] very unusual interchange in that certainly there are different opinions regarding this question,” Deckenback told The Washington Post of the call. “But it doesn’t really get to the nuts and bolts of should a pro sports team that receives substantial public financial support be using a name that others find demeaning.”

Get the Story:
Redskins name supporters talk to minister ahead of United Church of Christ boycott vote (The Washington Post 6/4)
The Great Redskins Name Debate of….1972? (The Washington Post 6/3)

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