California to ban 'Redskins' for school sports, keep Confederate building names

By Sharon Bernstein SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California will ban public schools from naming their sports teams "Redskins," a name seen as a slur against Native Americans, but will not stop municipalities from naming parks and buildings for Confederate heroes, Governor Jerry Brown said on Sunday. Brown's decision to sign a bill ending the use of "Redskins" yet veto legislation banning Confederate names comes amid controversy around the country over the racial implications of team names, display of the Confederate flag and the naming of public places. Advocates for Native Americans welcomed the decision to ban the term "Redskins." “The most populous state in the country has now taken a stand against the use of this insidious slur in its schools," activists from the group Change the Mascot said in a statement on Sunday.

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