Cleveland Indians change their perceived racist name

Famous Cleveland Indians change names: Trump is pissed off

After years of protests, Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians parted ways with their racist name, according to US media reports. The “New York Times” and the “Washington Post” reported the decision on Sunday, which could therefore be made official this week. Ohio’s baseball team has been called the Cleveland Indians since 1915.

A new name and schedule have not yet been established. After the Washington Football Team, which parted ways with its old name Redskins in the summer, baseball players are the second team in one of America’s major leagues to give in to pressure.

“What’s going on? This is not good news, even for ‘Indians,” current US President Donald Trump commented on Twitter. Cleveland had already parted ways with his mascot, an Indian cartoon, last year.

Criticisms of names, including that of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs or the NHL’s Chicago Blackhakws, have been around for years. Following the death of African American George Floyd in May and subsequent anti-racism protests in the United States, the pressure on these teams also increased. The Chiefs and Blackhakws are not aware of any plans to change their names. (ram / sda / dpa)