History won’t change with name

I am a lifelong Braves fan. Just missing out on the Team of the ’90s, I grew up watching Chipper and Andruw, then McCann and Frenchy. With Freddie, Ozzie and Ronald, the team’s future is bright. I own many jerseys with Braves across the chest and have acquired countless foam tomahawks as a child. As I have learned more about what the name and symbol represent, I have realized that the Braves must change their name.

I understand that many fans will find this decision controversial. Changing the name, however, does not change the franchise’s history or erase our memories of the team. In franchise history, the team has been called the Red Stockings, Red Caps, Beaneaters, Doves, Rustlers and Bees. Do you not weep for these names as well? The current team name is not even an Atlanta original; rather, Boston, then Milwaukee has handed it down to us.

Changing the name does not remove Warren Spahn, Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, the Big Three, Chipper Jones and countless others we love and admire from the history books. Instead, changing the name actually reminds us of our nation’s history.

While fans may believe the name belongs to them, the name and tomahawk symbol ultimately belong to Native Americans. Just 40 years before the franchise began in Boston, the United States government, defying a Supreme Court ruling, forcibly removed the Cherokee people from their land and killed thousands. Profiting from Native American symbology in a state that eradicated them is unjust. Fans, like myself, who have no Native American roots will never understand the pain and suffering inflicted upon them; however, we can and must empathize with them and consider their perspective. Even today, Native Americans face history’s consequences such as the disproportionate effects of COVID-19.

Rather than use the name to highlight Native American struggles, the franchise instead has portrayed them with caricatures such as Chief Noc-A-Homa, the Screaming Indian logo and still the Tomahawk Chop. I, like almost every Braves fan, have done the Tomahawk Chop. Having done the chop does not make myself and other fans bad people. We must, however, be better and educate ourselves on the inequalities minority groups face. The team name needs to change to accurately represent Atlanta and our history.