The Chicago Blackhawks make controversial decision, p*ss off a lot of people in the process
The Chicago Blackhawks may be one of the NHL's most storied franchises, but when the image of your franchise skirts the line of racism, there may be a problem - even if you're an original six team.
In recent years, we've seen teams like the Washington Redskins (Commanders) and the Cleveland Indians (Guardians) change their names out of respect for Native Americans and, to an extent, the Blackhawks have made some steps in the right direction, banning the wearing of Native American headdresses at home games to help eliminate cultural appropriation, but a recent announcement about their logo shows how far the team still has to go.
Per Hawks CEO Danny Wirtz, the team has "zero" plan to alter the logo and will instead work to build healthy and continuous working relationships with several indigenous communities and pledges to help educate fans about their history.
Per NHL Breakers on Instagram, "Major Frederic McLaughlin, founder of the franchise, named his team the 'Blackhawks' after the US Army unit he served in during World War One, the 86th Infantry Division, also known as the Black Hawk Division. The unit was named after Black Hawk, the Sauk leader of the eponymous Black Hawk War of 1832."
That's all well and good, but the Hawks could simply keep the name and alter the logo to depict a hawk rather than a Native American face adorned with face paint and feathers. Just my two cents.
| POLL | ||
4 SEPTEMBRE | 2141 ANSWERS The Chicago Blackhawks make controversial decision, p*ss off a lot of people in the process Even though they're keeping their name, should the Chicago Blackhawks change their logo out of respect for Indigenous communities? | ||
| Yes | 263 | 12.3 % |
| No | 1675 | 78.2 % |
| Show me the results | 203 | 9.5 % |
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