Obama commends Adidas for discouraging Native American mascots
President Obama on Thursday night commended Adidas for its new initiative to help high schools drop Native American mascots.
The athletic shoe and apparel maker announced Thursday that it would offer free design resources and financial support for schools interested in replacing their Native American mascots.
"For Adidas to make that commitment, it's a very smart thing to do because those schools now really don't have that excuse," Mr. Obama said at the White House Tribal Nations Conference in Washington.
"If you're living in a culture that devalues your culture or perpetuates stereotypes, you may be devaluing yourself," he continued. "I believe that includes our sports teams because we need to make sure that our young people feel supported and respected."
The White House says about 2,000 schools nationwide have team names that invoke native peoples.
Mr. Obama also referenced Washington, D.C.'s professional football team, which still uses a derogatory name. "You know, I don't know if Adidas made the same offer to a certain NFL team here in Washington, but they might want to think about that as well," he said.
Adidas endorses the Washington football team's backup quarterback, Robert Griffin III.
CBS News' Arden Farhi contributed to this report.
