The logo for the Change the Mascot campaign

More than 100 groups are asking sports broadcasters and reporters not to use the Washington NFL team's name on public airwaves.

The coalition represents a broad range of tribal, civil rights, religious, legal and other groups. They point out that the team's name is a "dictionary-defined racial slur."

"Every time the slur is promoted on the public airwaves even in a non-critical way by a journalist, it is an endorsement of the continued use of this slur. In other words, using this word is not just to legitimize it - it is to endorse its use, to ignore its definition and to defend its message," the letter states.

The letter came as a poll indicated that the majority of Americans do not think the Washington team should change its name. However, the number of people who object to the term is growing.

Get the Story:
Group asks broadcasters to stop saying ‘Redskins’ (AP 9/3)
New poll says large majority of Americans believe Redskins should not change name (The Washington Post 9/2)

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