By Lewis Gould
ESPN is reporting that the statue of racist former Redskins owner George Preston Marshall has been removed from outside of RFK Stadium by Events DC, which is in charge of the stadium.
Max Brown, the chairman of the Events DC board of directors, and Greg O’Dell, the president and CEO, released a joint statement explaining the removal.
“This symbol of a person who didn’t believe all men and women were created equal and who actually worked against integration is counter to all that we as people, a city, and nation represent,” the statement read. “We believe that injustice and inequality of all forms is reprehensible and we are firmly committed to confronting unequal treatment and working together toward healing our city and country.”
“We recognize that we can do better and act now,” they said. “We’ve heard from many of our stakeholders in the community, and we thank you. Allowing the memorial to remain on the RFK Campus goes against Events DC’s values of inclusion and equality and is a disturbing symbol to many in the city we serve.”
The removal occurred on Juneteenth, which observes the effective end of slavery in the United States. It also follows several weeks of protests following the death of George Floyd.
Marshall owned the franchise from its inception in 1932 until his death in 1969. The team began in Boston as the Braves in 1932 and was renamed the Redskins a year later when it shared Fenway Park with the Red Sox. Marshall moved the franchise to his hometown of Washington, D.C., in 1937.
Be the first to comment