Death of Washington’s Chief Zee Offers Chance for NFL to Correct Long-Held Wrong

The first time I met the African-American man who played the part of a racist Native American character, he called me a fool. I called him an embarrassment. It went downhill from there. 

The encounter between myself and a man named Zema Williams was brief, lasting literally seconds. He was known as Chief Zee, the man who proudly sported one of the most disgraceful mascot uniforms ever. After a game in Washington, if I remember correctly, he quietly approached me.

“You the guy always criticizing the Redskins name?” he asked.

“I am,” came the response.

“You’re a fool; it’s meant to honor Indians,” he said.

“You’re an embarrassment,” I said. It was the best comeback I could do on short notice.

He walked away, calling me a fool again.

OK then. Good talk.

I thought about that scene after reading the news that Williams died this week. To many, the man Washington fans knew as Chief Zee was a glorious symbol. He represented generations of Washington fans—including many in my own family—particularly in the 1980s and early 1990s as Washington dominated the NFL with four Super Bowl appearances. He was a point of pride and later, as opposition to the nickname grew, he became a stubborn point of pride.

There has been an outpouring of support for him after his death. No doubt some of those people will be incensed by this writing. But they will overlook how many others truly despised what Williams represented.

To a significant number of Native American people and activists, Williams was a disgrace, who for decades did damage to Native Americans by perpetuating ugly stereotypes. More important, and I’ve heard Native Americans say this, Williams should have understood the pain stereotypes can cause because he was an African-American man. That latter point is something that has been a topic in the Native American media and blogosphere.

Some will say I’m assailing the character of a dead man. I’m not. Or that I’m playing the race card. Nope. Don’t play cards. More of a gamer.

Williams’ death is a chance for everyone to take a step back, particularly the Washington team, and maybe start to try to get this thing right. Use this moment to finally eradicate the worst nickname in all of sports. Or, at the very least, start a civilized …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com