Statement from Investor Group Regarding The Washington D.C. Football Team Decision to Review the Team Name
We commend the Washington D.C. Football Team for announcing today its review of the team name. We also commend FedEx, Nike, Bank of America, and Pepsi for communicating publicly and to the team the importance of changing its name. This is long overdue and follows years of work by countless individuals.
This group of investors, which includes Indigenous peoples, leaders, and their institutions, stands ready to continue the work needed to bring this review to a successful conclusion. This means supporting Indigenous peoples, leaders, and groups that wish to be part of the review process – there must be a place held at the table for those who want to participate.
We also believe there must be a clear timeline for the review. Delay is not acceptable and the team must move forward with urgency.
Finally, it is important to emphasize that while the team statement focuses on the team name, it must also include all hurtful words, imagery and stereotypes, including the logo and mascot. As the National Congress of Americans made clear in 2018 “the name and mascot of the Washington National Football League team is offensive and hurtful to American Indian and Alaska Native people”.
We look forward to continued engagement with FedEx, Nike, Pepsi, Bank of America, and other sponsors on this topic. They continue to have an important role to play in holding the team accountable during this review process and for ensuring that their sponsorships and other business relationships live up to their commitments to racial justice.
###
About: The Oneida Trust, First Peoples Worldwide, Trillium Asset Management, Boston Trust Walden, Boston Common Asset Management, First Affirmative Financial Network, and Mercy Investments engaged with FedEx, Nike, Bank of America, and Pepsi regarding their respective business relationships with the Washington D.C. NFL Football team for decades.Most recently, those engagements culminated in letters to FedEx, Nike, and Pepsi from over 80 investors representing over $620 billion in assets asking the companies to cease their relationships with the team if it continues to use its current name and logo.
Contacts:
Carla F. Fredericks
Director
First Peoples Worldwide
University of Colorado
(917) 593-0194
Keith A. Doxtator
Trust Enrollment Director
Oneida Nation
(920) 490-3934
Jonas D. Kron
Director of Shareholder Advocacy
Trillium Asset Management
(413) 522-2899
Important Disclosure. This is not a recommendation to buy or sell any of the securities mentioned. It should not be assumed that investments in such securities have been or will be profitable. The specific securities were selected on an objective basis and do not represent all of the securities purchased, sold or recommended for advisory clients.
