There will be no California schools using the “Redskins” name or mascot beginning in 2017.
Governor Jerry Brown signed the law on Sunday morning. As the LA Times reports, the new law will affect four California high schools in Merced, Calaveras, Tulare and Madera counties and allows a short period of time for the schools to come up with something else – to which, Banana Slugs is a pretty cool mascot.
The National Congress of American Indians, in a joint statement with the nonprofit group Change the Mascot, applauded the new law, stating that California is “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.”
“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,” it said.
