New Chatham-Kent baseball team to change racially-sensitive nickname – London | globalnews.ca

The new Chatham-Kent Intercounty Baseball League team has already changed its old nickname after racially insensitive calls.

The team announced Friday that it would be called the Blackbirds, after a community-wide online competition.

However, the team announced on Monday that the name would be removed effective immediately after receiving feedback on the name over the weekend.

“As an organization, we welcome all conversations and discussions that help us develop, promote and nurture our team that instills a sense of inclusion and pride in the community and in line with baseball’s rich tradition ,” the team said in a statement.

The team acknowledged the historical implications of the pejorative term in which people were forced to work as slaves or poorly paid laborers through deception or abduction.

The team added, “We are sorry for any damage caused by the chosen name.”

The club says it plans to announce a new team name shortly that better reflects Chatham-Kent’s diverse cultural history.

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