D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday in a call with reporters that she was happy to see the Washington Redskins moving in a direction to change the football team’s name.
However, Bowser said the name isn’t the only issue in efforts to woo the team back to the District.
“I actually think this would be a great opportunity for the team and the league to look for more diversity in ownership,” said Bowser, who noted that 40 percent of the Redskins is up for sale and alluded to the possibility of expanding the ownership group.
The name “Redskins” has long been a point of contention, with many considering it a racist slur against Native Americans. Franchise owner Daniel Snyder has adamantly resisted calls to change the name in the past, but the team’s stance changed radically last week in light of the national discussions on race after the police-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Meanwhile, with the team’s current lease at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, set to expire in 2027, D.C.’s RFK Stadium, where the team played for decades, sits vacant and largely unused.