Suzan Shown Harjo still leading battle against racist mascots

Thursday, October 10, 2013  

Activist Suzan Shown Harjo remains committed to ridding the sports world of racist mascots.

Harjo was the lead plaintiff in a challenge to the trademarks that are held by the Washington professional football team. They won a ruling before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board but the federal courts, without ruling on the merits, said they waited too long to bring the case.

A new generation of Native activists filed a second challenge with the board. Arguments were held in March and Harjo believes a ruling could come by the end of the year amid mounting pressure on the team to eliminate its name, which was previously held to be "disparaging" to Native people.

“There are so many milestones in this issue,” Harjo told The New York Times. “It is king of the mountain because it’s associated with the nation’s capital, so what happens here affects the rest of the country.”

Get the Story:
Redskins’ Name Change Remains Activist’s Unfinished Business (The New York Times 10/10)

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