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Name Change For The Cleveland Indians?; Cleveland Mask Mandate

It is now mandatory to wear masks in public, in the city of Cleveland. The mayor issued that order Friday. He also set the maximum occupancy of all bars and restaurants to 50%, doing it right before the busy July 4th holiday. The order gives Mayor Frank Jackson power to shut down any bar with two violations, and patrons, employees, and owners of some businesses could soon face monetary fines if caught. On a wider scale, Cuyahoga County Commissioner Armond Budish signaled that a similar county-wide mask mandate could come; possibly as early as tomorrow. Cleveland follows other major Ohio cities Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus in issuing mask mandates. Governor DeWine praised Mayor Jackson's action, and 'he' could still issue a state mandate following the footsteps of California, North Carolina and Kansas. Later this hour, we'll discuss the mandate -- locally and statewide -- with reporters and with Cuyahoga County Health Commissioner Terry Allen.

But first -- for decades, Native Americans, most often termed 'Indians', have been calling for sports teams like the Cleveland Indians and the Washington Redskins to change their names. On Friday, first the Washington football team, and then our own Cleveland baseball franchise; issued statements saying they would begin looking into discussions that could bring a change to one or both names. Cleveland's statement included a reference "recent social unrest in our community and in our country" as a reason to reconsider the name. 
This comes on the heels of multiple high-profile rebranding efforts to address racial wrongdoings like the use of Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben as product selling logos - no matter the racist apparance of that use. Fans know that even after seeing less of the logo featuring Chief Wahoo the past decade, it was only last year, the Indians phased out the use of the red-faced characature that many consider racist. 

-Sundance, Executive Director, Cleveland American Indian Movement

-Philip Yenyo, Executive Director, American Indian Movement of Ohio

-Joe Posnanski, Sports Journalist, The Athletic & Author

-Kevin Kleps, Assistant Editor, Sports Business Reporter, Crain's Cleveland Business

-Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund

-Matt Richmond, Reporter, ideastream

-Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau Chief, Ohio Public Radio

-Terry Allen, Health Commissioner, Cuyahoga County Board of Health

 

Drew Maziasz is a coordinating producer for the "Sound of Ideas" and also serves as the show’s technical producer.