Talking about Race The “Chief Illiniwek” Half-Time Show What’s Wrong with It and What People Did about It Demetrius Wade Is this Mascot Racist? don’t think too much about how their ancestors may have contributed to the In 2006, when I was a sophomore at genocide against Native Americans, the University of Illinois, I heard peo- yet here they are being entertained ple saying the school’s mascot “Chief by a ste- Illiniwek” was racist towards Native reotype $PHULFDQV$WÀUVW,VWUXJJOHGWR The “Chief” mis- “Indian” understand why. But then I began to represented an just as they look into other cultural stereotypes, were en- entire culture for such as “Sambo” and “black face,” tertained and I began to see their point. the entertainment by a “stereotype” black According to Encyclopedia.com, “Sambo” of white people. person in black face. characterizes black men as “passive buffoons” and In Native culture, is a “form of denigration.” As a stereotype, it has ritualistic dancing is very sacred. Depending on been used to “justify the inhumane treatment of the tribe, Native Americans feel that dancing con- slaves, provide a rationale for Jim Crow segrega- nects them with sacred spirits. To take something tion,” and use racism to entertain white audiences. so personal and culturally sacred, and parade it “Black face” refers to make-up worn by white around like it’s something funny and designed for or even black entertainers in “minstrel” shows. the consumption of a bunch of sports spectators The make-up exaggerates black features and is clearly not only insensitive but also downright ridicules black people as a form of entertainment. disrespectful. Professor Blair Kelley writes that minstrel shows More than 20 years ago, Native American “desensitized Americans to the horrors of chattel groups and supporters started protesting the slavery.” They encouraged audiences to laugh at Chief Illiniwek mascot. You might think that slavery and to think of it “as an appropriate an- people would have some empathy for the Native swer for the lazy, ignorant slave. Why worry about Americans who did not want to see their culture the abolition of slavery ridiculed in this way. On the contrary, students, when black life looked alumni, and supporters of the university were out- so fun, silly, and care- raged that they might lose their mascot. Alumni free?” even threatened to stop making contributions to It didn’t take the university if the mascot was discontinued. me long to see that the “Chief” was the 7RWKH8QLYHUVLW\3URÀW0DWWHUV0RUH exact same thing. He misrepresented At that moment, I realized that I couldn’t expect an entire culture for empathy from people who have never had to deal the entertainment of with being mocked, or negatively portrayed in the white people. Many media. I also realized the powerful role of money of these white people in this controversy. Despite protests, the univer- 8 The Change Agent — March 2016 Talking about Race sity stubbornly held on to their mascot for more ÀWWLQJEHFDXVHWKHUHLVDOVRQRWKLQJIDFWXDODERXW than 20 years—because they were afraid to lose the stereotypes that it conveys. The University the money from their alumni network. Apparently may have rid itself of the mascot for the wrong they were more afraid of losing money than they reasons, but we should still count the university were of being viewed as an institution that toler- ban as a victory. It shows that pressure works and ated and supported the use of racist images. change can happen! However, there is still work to The university didn’t start to change until the do. The local community keeps the mascot going National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) by putting the Chief’s image on clothing and ac- threatened to ban the university from hosting cessories. Remnants of the Chief, just as remnants playoff games if the mascot was not eliminated. In of racism, linger. August 2005, the NCAA called “Chief Illiniwek” a “hostile or abusive” mascot and banned the uni- Demetrius Wade, who is part Native versity from hosting post-season activities as long American, is a student at the Univer- as it continued to use the mascot. There is a ton of sity of Illinois/Urbana Champaign. He is majoring in English with a mi- money to be made by hosting playoff games, and nor in Gender and Women’s Studies. WKHXQLYHUVLW\GLGQRWZDQWWRORVHRXW6RÀQDOO\ He is from the south side of Chicago, the Chief was banned—not because it was the right and both his parents were addicted to crack cocaine. He will be 29 when thing to do and not because it perpetuated Native he graduates because he has had to American stereotypes. The Chief was banned be- WDNHWLPHRIIIRUÀQDQFLDOUHDVRQV FDXVHLWZDVPRUHSURÀWDEOHWRJHWULGRIKLPWKDQ He wants you to know: it’s never too it was to keep him. late to get your education. Sources: <www.ais.illinois.edu/documents/Gone-IlliniwekArticle. Mascot Banned but Racism Lingers pdf>, <www.encyclopedia.com> <councilofchiefs.org/history>, <thegrio.com/2013/10/30/a-brief-history-of-blackface-just-in-time- From 1927 to 2007, the Chief was played by 38 for-halloween>, <en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Illiniwek>, <www. dailyillini.com>. people but never by anyone of American Indian heritage. This mostly made-up character was not AFTER YOU READ: What is the role of money in the based on an actual American Indian chief, nor did university’s decisions regarding the mascot? Find DKLVWRULFDOÀJXUHZLWKWKLVQDPHHYHUH[LVW7KHUH an activity related to research and using sources at: was nothing factual about this character, which is <changeagent.nelrc.org/issues/issue-42>. NEW YORK JEWS SAN FRANCISCO CHINAMEN CLEVELAND INDIANS This poster was created by the National Congress of American Indians. It includes one real sports mascot and two fake ones. The caption under the poster reads, “No race, creed, or religion should endure the ridicule faced by Native $PHULFDQVWRGD\3OHDVHKHOSSXWDQHQGWRWKLVPRFNHU\µ:KLFKLVWKHUHDOPDVFRW":KLFKRQHVDUHIDNH"'R\RXÀQG these mascots offensive? Why or why not? The Change Agent — March 2016 9.