New Chatham-Kent baseball team to change racially-sensitive nickname

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

The team announced Friday it would be called the Blackbirds following a community-wide online contest.

However, the team announced Monday it would be dropping the name effective immediately after it received feedback on the name over the weekend.

“As an organization, we welcome all conversations and discussions that help us to grow, foster and nurture our team in a manner that evokes a feeling of inclusion and pride consistent with the community and the rich tradition of baseball,” said the team in a statement.

The team acknowledged the historical implications of the derogatory term involving the coercion of people through deception or kidnapping to work as slaves or poorly-paid labourers.

“We regret any harm the chosen name may have caused,” added the team.

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The club says it has made plans to announce a new team name soon that better reflects the diverse cultural history of Chatham-Kent.

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