New Year - New Baseball Team!

As a lifelong Cleveland sports fan, I knew the nickname of our professional baseball team was highly offensive to many. However, it was not until this weekend that I learned that the previous name actively prevented so many Clevelanders and baseball fans from participating in the national pastime. I have been to many opening days and games for the team when they operated under their previous name. I attended a Congressional forum at the Cleveland City Club this past Friday and found myself in dialogue with a woman of Native American descent. During the conversation, she shared with me how relieved she was with the name change, and how for the first time as an adult that she was looking forward to attending a Cleveland Guardians game! As an African American, I have found myself on the receiving end of offensive comments, actions, and situations. I have been called the most offensive word in the English language, and had my intelligence questioned - simply on the basis of race. However, I have never had to deal with the trauma of having a professional sports team - in my own city - have a derogatory name and mascot that “depicts” my people. I enrolled in a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certificate program at Cornell University. I earned a certificate in the program after investing significant time and energy into learning about other cultures, genders, and disparate ways of thinking. As a result of the class, I placed more pride and emphasis on being an ally for other underrepresented and BIPOC communities. However, I never took into consideration how Native Americans in the city and the region truly felt about the professional baseball team’s name. Again, I have attended countless games. I figured I was showing support for the Native American community by not wearing the racist mascot that was previously associated with the team. I also tried not to wear any attire that referred to the team by their previous name, opting for hats that featured the previously used “block C” logo and shirts that simply read “Cleveland”. I never took into consideration that despite my efforts to not wear offensive attire I was still supporting the oppression and disrespect of another community of color. This past Friday was the home opener for the Cleveland Guardians - the new name for the Cleveland professional baseball team. On that same day, I had a detailed conversation with a member of the Executive Board of the Lake Erie Native American Council, a nonprofit organization that aims to preserve, maintain, and promote Native American culture in Northeast Ohio. During the conversation, the leader shared with me that this was the first opening day in her life where she did not experience anxiety or disrespect. Instead, she experienced the excitement and was planning to watch the team for the first time in many years. The offensive nature of the previous name was something she could not overcome but, she was now willing to give the team a chance. The conversation with her reinforced within me that I must take other beliefs into perspective and do my best to be and remain ally to cultures and beliefs other than my own.