The Cleveland Browns unveiled a new hat design that is facing backlash for portraying blackface.

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The hat features Brownie the Elf, a mythical character in Cleveland folklore that was adopted by the Browns in the late 1940s.

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On Monday, Twitter user Everything Cleveland shared images of the new design of the hats, which are black in color, with a silhouette of Brownie the Elf stitched in white.

Are the Browns NFL draft hats 🔥 or 👎🏽 pic.twitter.com/abiWQOcbdx — Everything Cleveland (@EverythingCLE_) March 31, 2020

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From a design perspective, it appears to be a white silhouette against a black textile. But for many, the hat appears to portray blackface, given the whole face was the color of the hat: black. The original color of Brownie the Elf is brown.

“Brownie in blackface?” asked one Twitter user:

Kind of a minstrel vibe here — Brownie in blackface? https://t.co/EqPbEMaYDE — Paul Lukas (@UniWatch) March 31, 2020

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I hate to be this guy, but someone is bound to bring this up. Is Brownie the Elf in blackface? — Cleveland Sports (@Oh__Cleveland) March 31, 2020

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I'm a huge fan of Brownie the elf. Not a fan of Brownie the elf in blackface though. https://t.co/anTPQ9vu38 — Shawn (@ClevelandMagnar) March 31, 2020

Daryl Ruiter, journalist and sports commentator, defended the design. “People will find anything to be outraged over or offended by,” he said.

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But others say the blackface is hard to miss in the hat:

The blackface isn’t intentional.

However, it’s hard to not see it.

They coulda done better. https://t.co/LAI80d7kIt — Fresh Brownies (@Fresh_Brownies) March 31, 2020

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The Cleveland Browns did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment.

According to the NFL’s website the team’s merchandise, the designs have taken many shapes and colors over the years. Some have been against a brown background, with Brownie the Elf’s design in white with black borders.

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