'Black Panther Challenge' creator ramps up pressure on Redskins with 'Caucasians' T-shirts
Frederick Joseph launched the wildly popular #BlackPantherChallenge campaign that raised almost $1 million to send underprivileged children to see the Marvel superhero movie.
The goal was to send kids who may not otherwise have the means to see the movie with positive portrayals of African heroes.
Frederick Joseph puts pressure on Redskins
Now Joseph is taking on one of the most heated debates in sports — the name and logo of the Washington Redskins.
Joseph wore a T-shirt around the streets of New York with a mockup of the controversial logo that replaced the team’s name with “Caucasians” and featured the profile of a white man in place of the NFL team’s Native American mascot.
To the surprise of nobody, this was not well-received. He documented his experience in a Twitter thread he posted Tuesday.
The Hypocrisy of Racist Logos:
Last weekend I decided to wear this shirt, I figured it would catch some by surprise but I didn’t expect people to be as trash as they were. pic.twitter.com/DW5n6QEmOl
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018
The shirt is a play on the Washington “Redskins” logo to demonstrate how people look wearing apparel with a logo that is blatantly racially charged and disrespectful.
The shirt doesn’t have any rude language or slurs such as “crackers” or “honkies”… but that didn’t matter pic.twitter.com/TrksTIlGYj
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018
I left @SXMProgress after just doing an interview with @XorjeO and it was my first time in public with the shirt on.
A white guy walking by mistook the shirt for an actual team shirt and yelled “Go Skins!” I said “nah”, he then saw my shirt and yelled “asshole!” pic.twitter.com/2apsx126YX
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018
Next, an older white lady stopped me in the street and said “why would you wear that? It’s disrespectful!”
So I asked her if she would have said the same if I had on the actually team shirt or another team using disrespectful branding.
She said “no, because that’s the logo!” pic.twitter.com/UaLfIZioS5
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018
The third person or rather people was a group of white guys across the street and one pointed at me. I can see from the corner of my eye that two of them were seemingly trying to come across the street and have a word with me.
I wish they would have, but that’s here nor there. pic.twitter.com/cPONjTYUBG
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018
As I walked through Manhattan, people looked at me and rolled their eyes, pointed, made snide comments, etc.
But, I’ve never seen white people do the same when people are wearing “Redskins” apparel, which is actually racist versus the word “caucasians” and a white man logo. pic.twitter.com/LSYYVBECn9
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018
Basically, I was being shamed as a black person for wearing a non-disrespectful shirt with a white person logo on it.
But people wear apparel and jerseys with logos depicting things such as a Native American and call them “redskins”… whew chile, the hypocrisy and privilege. pic.twitter.com/laW9lyJIHR
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018
I was fairly surprised by the reactions of people because again, there are so many disrespectful and racist representations of minorities used for brands and they don’t even think twice.
But, it goes to show how fickle and hypocritical people can be. pic.twitter.com/kemPWBwZ7x
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018
After retelling his experience, Joseph invited others to join him in his campaign.
I’d be interested to see more people wear shirts and apparel such as this to make the point and see how the people who have racist car decals, shirts, jerseys, etc respond when the tables are turned (and still not really). pic.twitter.com/UyEMCvcD7X
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018
He pointed people to where they, too can purchase a “Caucasians” shirt.
Anyone who wants to purchase a shirt:https://t.co/ShMbQBGpXX
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018
Before imploring people joining the campaign to be safe.
A very important point for those who plan on purchasing and wearing the shirt or others like it: I'm a larger person who lives in NYC, so my ability to safely wear this shirt is higher than some. Please be safe out there.
Thank you for bring this to my attention @AdamantxYves
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018
Joseph following in Bomani Jones’ footsteps
Joseph isn’t the first public figure to tread this ground.
In 2016, outspoken ESPN host Bomani Jones wore a “Caucasians” T-shirt on air that mocked the logo of the Cleveland Indians and their mascot Chief Wahoo.
“The reason they won’t get rid of Chief Wahoo, which is completely indefensible, is ’cause they can still sell stuff with it,” Jones said while speaking about his shirt. “They can say they are going to de-emphasize it, but they’re not going to set money on fire.”
Earlier this year, the Indians announced that they were phasing out Chief Wahoo because the mascot “is no longer appropriate.”
Dan Snyder a roadblock to progress on Redskins’ name
Joseph is ramping up the pressure in Washington to do the same with their NFL team’s name and logo.
This appears to be a tougher fight with team owner Daniel Snyder remaining steadfast that he will not change the name of the Washington Redskins despite mounting pressure and progressing cultural norms shunning the racism associated with the team.
“The Washington Redskins team, our fans and community have always believed our name represents honor, respect and pride,” Snyder said in a 2016 statement defending the team’s name.
Snyder, 53, grew up in Maryland watching the team through their heyday, and is now living out a childhood fantasy as the team’s owner. The prospects of the team’s name changing while he’s still in charge seem slim.
It seems that only overwhelming public pressure that threatens the team’s bottom line could convince Snyder to shift his thinking on the matter.
With his “Caucasians” campaign, that is exactly what Joseph is trying to achieve.
More from Yahoo Sports:
• Jeff Passan: Astros reveal their character in trade for closer Roberto Osuna
• 49ers’ Richard Sherman rips Jerry Jones and his ‘plantation mentality’
• College hoops scandal is far from over: 5 pressing questions
• Pat Forde: 40 things to know about the college football schedule
————————
Jason Owens is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter.