Washington Redskins will retire their team name, according to report, amid heightened discussions about race

Rosie Perper

July 13, 2020 5:42 AM

The Washington Redskins will retire their team name, The Washington Post reported on Sunday.

Sources told The Post that the NFL team plans to announce the changes on Monday, adding that the team is not expected to reveal its new name until a later date due to trademark issues.
Discussions surrounding the team's controversial name and logo were reignited this month after sponsors threatened to distance themselves from the team.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

The Washington Redskins will retire their team name, The Washington Post reported on Sunday, following intensified discussions about race sparked by recent Black Lives Matter protests.

Sources told The Post that the NFL team plans to announce the changes on Monday, adding that the team is not expected to reveal its new name until a later date due to trademark issues.

Discussions surrounding the team's controversial name and logo were reignited this month after sponsors threatened to distance themselves from the team. FedEx, which lends its name to the team's home field, reportedly issued a statement on July 2 urging the team to change its name.

In response, the team said in a statement that it would conduct a "thorough review" of its moniker, which it instated in 1933 .

Walmart and Target have pulled Washington Redskins products from its shelves in response to the controversy. Nike has also removed Redskins merchandise from its site.

The Redskins team name has garnered enhanced scrutiny following the killing of George Floyd, which has brought discussions about race into the national spotlight.

Last week, a statue of Christopher Columbus who has been widely associated with extreme cruelty toward Indigenous people was removed in Buffalo, New York, after it was vandalized.

And hundreds of thousands of people have signed a petition to change the name of Columbus, Ohio, to Flavortown (in honor of Guy Fieri) in order to distance the city from the controversial historical figure.

NOW WATCH: Inside London during COVID-19 lockdown