Reaffirming "Indian Sports Team Mascots and Names"

WHEREAS, many professional, college, and high school sports teams are identified by Native American imagery, mascots, and team names; and

WHEREAS, these images and names mock the physical characteristics, religious and spiritual symbols of the Native American people; and

WHEREAS, the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People has been at the forefront of the struggle for dignity, equality, and civil rights for over eighty years.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP actively support the American Indian movement in its effort to force sports teams to discontinue the use of "Indian" team names, mascots, and other imagery that stereotype and caricature the sacred rituals and culture of Native Americans; and

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the NAACP use its influence and resources to bring to the attention of the nation, and black athletes in particular, the tremendous negative impact that such demeaning symbolism can have on other peoples of color.