“They don’t win that many games plus a lot of the players have a… Poor attitude. “I am not sure they are worthy of the Red Tail name,” Lt. In a statement, Tuskegee Airmen Inc., an Alabama-based non-profit dedicated to honoring the accomplishments of Black veterans and introducing youth to career opportunities in aviation, aerospace and transportation, says the organization “would be honored and pleased to work with” the Washington team “during and after the process should this name be adopted.”Īmong the surviving Airmen, however, the renaming doesn’t enjoy universal support. “If would be the most appropriate time to do it, in view of what’s going on in the country,” says Brown, a Minneapolis native. Naming a team, based in the nation’s capital, after a group of pioneering Black war heroes seems to fit the spirit of this moment of racial awakening. There’s a lot to like about the Red Tails. Fans have already come up with a compelling helmet and logo designs. According to one betting site, the “Redtails” are the odd-on favorites to prevail, at 3 to 1. Now, in a statement, the team has said that Snyder and coach Ron Rivera “are working closely to develop a new name and design approach that will enhance the standing of our proud, tradition rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years.”Īs fans and other observers mull the possibilities for that new name, the “Red Tails” idea has gained some favor: in a Yahoo poll, 28% of the respondents said they favored “RedTails,” which was top vote-getter over Warriors, Hogs, Generals and others. (“You can use caps,” he said.) But as the United States reckons with its racist history following the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, the movement to dump the name gained unstoppable momentum: FedEx, for example, threatened to pull its name off the team’s stadium. In 2013, Snyder had told USA Today that he would “NEVER” alter the team’s nickname. Team owner Daniel Snyder had long resisted calls to change the name, which is slur used against Native Americans. On Monday, after decades of pressure, the Washington NFL organization officially announced that it will be retiring the Redskins name. I don’t know of a better way to keep that name alive than to put it on a name right behind ‘Washington.'” “Waiting a few years, that would be the end of us. “Thinking about it sort of selfishly in terms of our own legacy, we are running out of pilots,” says Brown. Brown is one of the nine surviving Tuskegee pilots who flew in combat. “Absolutely,” says Brown, 95, from from his home in Port Clinton, Ohio.
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