wfn.org | UCC/Series exciting, 'Wahoo' disappointing

["Barb Powell"<powellb@ucc.org>]

Oct. 21, 1997
Office of Communication
United Church of Christ
Hans Holznagel, press contact
(216) 736-2214
holznagh@ucc.org
On the Web:  www.ucc.org      

World Series exciting, `Wahoo' disappointing, United Church of
Christ leaders say

      CLEVELAND -- Meeting in the midst of World Series
activities, the Executive Council of the United Church of
Christ today issued a statement objecting to the Cleveland
team's name and logo.

      "During our meeting, the members of the Executive
Council of the United Church of Christ shared the excitement
of Cleveland over the fact that our team is in the World
Series," said the Rev. Paul H. Sherry, president of the
church, which has national offices near Jacobs Fields.  "In
the midst of the excitement, however, we are all saddened by
the fact that the Cleveland baseball team still has not
changed its logo and name.  Therefore, the Executive Council
voted the following action."

      Here is the text of that action:

      "The Executive Council of the United Church of Christ,
meeting in Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. 17-21, 1997, concurrent with
the playing of the World Series, expresses dismay and pain
over the continued use of the name `Indians' for the Cleveland
baseball team, and the use of the logo/mascot, `Chief Wahoo.' 
These racist and demeaning symbols injure our Native American
brothers and sisters, and they injure our whole human
community by promoting harmful stereotypes of persons.

      "We call upon the owner of the Cleveland baseball team,
Mr. Richard Jacobs, to change the name and logo/mascot of his
team.  We further encourage United Church of Christ members to
join efforts to end the use of all such harmful team names and
logos so that our enthusiasm of fans is not diminished."

      The church's Executive Council, some 45 ministers and
lay members of the church from throughout the United States
and Puerto Rico, are holding their five-day fall meeting
through Oct. 22 in Cleveland.  Some of their sessions have
been at the church's national offices at 700 Prospect Avenue,
across Huron Road from the Jacobs Field complex, where
Cleveland is playing the Florida Marlins Oct. 21, 22 and 23.

      National bodies of the United Church of Christ have been
active since 1991 in efforts against team names and logos that
demean American Indians.  That year, the church's national
body of delegates, the 700-member General Synod, passed a
resolution against such "negative stereotyping" in sports and
commerce.

      The United Church of Christ has 1.5 million members and
some 6,100 local churches in the United States and Puerto
Rico.  Its Executive Council, like the General Synod and other
national bodies of the church, speaks to, not for, local
members and churches.

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