California became the first state to ban the name "Redskins" from public schools when Gov. Jerry Brown signed the California Racial Mascots Act on Sunday.
The ban takes effect on Jan. 1, 2017, and affects only four schools,
NBC News reports.
The law also allows schools to phase in the name change, and they won't be required to by new uniforms immediately, according to
The Washington Times. The name must be blocked for any future use, however.
"California has the largest number of Native Americans in the country, it’s time we as a state take a stand against racial slurs used by our public schools," the bill's sponsor, Assembly member Luis Alejoaid said after it passed in May.
The state also has the largest school population in the nation, making the move significant.
The groups Change the Mascot and the National Congress of American Indians issued a joint statement thanking California for "standing on the right side of history by bringing an end to the use of the demeaning and damaging R-word slur in the state's schools."
The NFL's Washington Redskins have been under fire for years over the name, but owner Dan Snyder has adamantly refused to change the name, saying it was intended to honor Native Americans, not slur them.
Opponents in California said the issue should be one of local control. Brown disagreed, though he did cite local control when he on Sunday vetoed a ban on naming California roads and buildings after Confederate leaders.
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