Symbols » Native Voice One

There is now a national debate about mascots and symbols. But let’s be clear: It’s not about statues, flags and monuments … it’s really about the national story. What kind of country is this … and what kind of country should this be?

This is Trahant Reports.

Trahant Reports · TR062920Symbols

So much has happened in just the past few weeks. And the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers changed everything.

Debates about symbols that had gone through the slow process, lots of meetings before boards, city councils, even legislatures, and then nothing.

Then after the nation saw firsthand the injustice of George Floyd and so many others like him, that bureaucratic patience expired. People wanted action.

It’s even hard to keep up with the news because it’s happening so fast.

In the past few days, President Donald Trump (who does not favor changing the story at all) has called for new federal enforcement powers to protect monuments and statues. He practically looks out his window at Andrew Jackson, one of those statues that almost came down. On Saturday four men were charged with felonies in connection with that act.

But the president is in the minority.

The Mississippi legislature over the weekend said it’s time to retire the Confederate battle flag from the state flag.

And in Orange County, California, there is a new call to rename the airport and remove a statue of its namesake, the actor John Wayne. In the movies Wayne was often the cowboy, Indian killer. In real life he was public about his racism. He told Playboy he believed in white supremacy and said it was not wrong to take this “great country away” from Indians. Wayne said: “There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly were trying to keep it for themselves.”

What’s in a name?

How about the inevitable name change for the Washington NFL team? The owners removed a statue to a team’s founder, George Preston Marshall. He was the last NFL owner to integrate his team and he did so only because he was forced to in 1962.

Last week a coalition of business sponsors, including Nike and Pepsi, made the case for changing the Washington team name. According to MarketingDaily, sponsorship and spending on the NFL and its 32 teams exceeded $1.47 billion last season.

That’s why the name change is a when, not an if.

So how do these actions change the story of America? We have the draft right in front of us. It’s up to all of us to write chapters that reflect the national story that includes everybody.

I am Mark Trahant.