Chicago Blackhawks stand by name and logoon July 8, 2020 at 8:44 pm

Even the Cleveland Indians, who already removed their offensive logo in recent years, have also said they are going to evaluate the situation with their name. Their superstar shortstop, Francisco Lindor has backed that stance along with their manager Terry Francona who is widely considered one of the best coaches in the league.

Of course, all of this has caused the Blackhawks to evaluate themselves because their name and logo use Native American heritage as well. When they were purchased in 1926, then new owner Frederic McLaughlin named the team the “Black Hawks” to honor the unit he served with in World War I. The Wirtz family shortened it to the Blackhawks in the 1980s.

Chief Black Hawk was a led a group of Sauk warriors during the 1932 battle called the Black Hawk War. He was captured by US forces before being freed but the story has relevance to Illinois because Black Hawk led his group there which is another part of why it is the name for Chicago’s hockey team.

The Blackhawks released a lengthy statement on the matter:

In this statement, they appear to be sincere to the fact that they use the name to promote the legacy of Black Hawk and how his life inspired many generations of Native American people. There are going to be people that like this stance, there are going to be people who don’t like that we’re having this conversation at all, and there are going to be people who think they absolutely are making the wrong decision by not making some changes.

Hopefully, at the very least, as hockey and the Chicago Blackhawks continue to grow in this country, the organization continues to use its platform to contribute to Native American people and educate people on the legacy of Black Hawk, the team name, and logo. It is good to see sports teams driving the conversation to see how they can make things better for all people. Right now, it seems like Chicago is going to keep its name but you never know where the conversation takes us.