Will you rise in solidarity with Native people and sign my petition demanding that the Kansas City football team change their racist name and imagery?

As Kansas City plays for the Super Bowl championship, they should champion respect and dignity for all. Words have power. Symbols have power. All racist imagery—the team's name, logo, culture, and rituals—must be changed to show respect for Native peoples. [Sign my petition: Change the Kansas City football team’s racist name and imagery NOW!]( Dear fellow MoveOn member, As Kansas City plays for the Super Bowl championship, they should champion respect and dignity for all. The truth is, Kansas City’s football team name and imagery is rooted in a history of racist depictions of Native people in America. While the team ownership has tried to adjust, it's clear that it must adopt a new name to break away from this offensive colonialist history, now. Native people are not mascots; we are people, and we are still here. [Will you rise in solidarity with Native people and sign my petition demanding that the Kansas City football team change their racist name and imagery?]( There is a history of racist images, names, and tropes around sports teams—and fortunately, team after team is recognizing that and changing its ways. Football's Washington Commanders and baseball's Cleveland Guardians are two recent examples of major sports teams listening to Native people and fans, finally recognizing that they needed to change their names, imagery, and culture, and doing so successfully.1 It's time for Kansas City—with a team of stellar athletes heading to the Super Bowl—to do the same and change the racist Kansas City football team name and imagery. [Sign my petition]( The Kansas City team knows it has a problem. Over recent years, it has adjusted its imagery, banned fans from donning war paint, and tried to stifle "war chants" in their stadium in their efforts to confront racist, misinformed, and offensive stereotypes. Yet these behaviors persist, amplifying the harm, oppression, and intergenerational trauma they cause. [Enough is enough. Kansas City must do the right thing and change their racist team name and imagery NOW.]( Leaders, historians, psychologists, and social scientists have concluded that "Native mascots are part of a much larger web of phenomena that contribute to oppression faced by Native Americans, and thus it seems clear that these mascots should be eliminated."2 That’s why it’s so important to consult Native leaders and organizations who have been at the forefront of these fights. Kansas City has a rich and diverse history—and now it has a nationally recognized football team. Words have power. Symbols have power. All racist imagery—the team's name, logo, culture, and rituals—must be changed to show respect for Native peoples. [Click here to add your name to my petition, and then pass it along to 3 friends to spread the word.]( Thanks! –Christopher Kilner, The Woape Foundation Sources: 1. "Native Americans are protesting Kansas City Chiefs ahead of Super Bowl," Axios, February 9, 2023 [ 2. "Study finds only negative effects from Native-themed mascots," Indian Country Today, June 15, 2020 [ You're receiving this petition because we thought it might interest you. It was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online petitions. You can [start your own petition here](. Want to support MoveOn's work? Together, we must work to end the filibuster, codify abortion rights into law, and defend our freedoms, our families, and our futures. We can accomplish all this and more, but only if we work together. Will you start a monthly donation right now to power our critical work? Donate: [$5 monthly]( Donate: [$15 monthly]( Donate: [$50 monthly]( [Donate another amount monthly]( [Or make a one-time gift]( Contributions to MoveOn Civic Action are not tax-deductible for income tax purposes. This email was sent to {NAME} on February 10, 2023. To change your email address or update your contact info, [click here](. MoveOn's privacy policy was recently updated. To read our new privacy policy, [click here](. To remove yourself from this list, [click here](.