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Olympic Icon Billy Mills Comments on Cleveland Baseball Team Announcing Name Change

Gold Medalist and Native American Activist Calls for Lasting Change

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Today, Billy Mills, Olympic Gold medalist and Oglala Lakota spoke out on the decision of the Cleveland baseball team to change their name and imagery to the Cleveland Guardians after years of controversy.

"It’s never too late to do the right thing," said Mills, national spokesperson of Running Strong for American Indian Youth. “The beginning of the Tokyo Olympics meant today was already a day of global reflection on the power and importance of athletic excellence, even in these most challenging of times. Now today will be a new beginning for the storied Cleveland baseball team, one without a tarnished legacy of Native caricature.

“The Cleveland Guardians are righting a historic wrong, and have the chance to define this team’s legacy as one of both inclusion and excellence.”

Running Strong for American Indian Youth works to help Native American communities meet their immediate critical needs. To learn more about our programs visit the Running Strong site at http://www.indianyouth.org or contact hanna@indianyouth.org.

 

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