Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill into law Sunday making California the first state in the nation to ban high schools from using “Redskins” as a team mascot.
According the USA Today, the law — which had been defeated four times in the state legislature since 2002 — goes into effect January 2017. Currently, four public high schools in California still use the Redskins moniker. (RELATED: Trump Doesn’t Think Redskins Need A Name Change)
Change the Mascot — the non-profit group leading the campaign to change the Washington Redskins’ name — and the National Congress of American Indians released a joint statement, praising Gov. Brown and the state for “standing on the right side of history by bringing an end to the use of the demeaning and damaging R-word slur in the state’s schools.” (RELATED: Dems Are Freaking Out Over What Jeb Bush Just Said About The Redskins)
“They have set a shining example for other states across the country, and for the next generation, by demonstrating a commitment to the American ideals of inclusion and mutual respect.”
[h/t: USA Today]