Photo: Prince Williams/Wireimage; Nike
Nike has pulled a patriotic sneaker featuring the so-called Betsy Ross flag from shelves at the behest ofColin Kaepernick, who reportedly informed the company the design had racist ties.
TheWall Street Journalreports that Nike shipped the America-themed Air Max 1 USA shoes to retailers, then asked they be returned without an explanation.
“Nike has chosen not to release the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July as it featured the old version of the American flag,” a spokesperson for the company PEOPLE in a statement.
The flag, which was stitched on the heel of the shoe, was created in the 1770s, with one white, five-pointed star representing each of the 13 original colonies set against a blue background, and 13 red and white stripes, according to the website of Philadelphia’sBetsy Ross House.
Kaepernick, however, reportedly reached out to Nike to tell them not to sell the shoes, as the design is considered offensive to some due to its connection to an era of slavery.
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Back in 2016, a local NAACP chapter in Michiganlinked the flagto “militia groups” who are “responding to America’s increasing diversity with opposition and racial supremacy” after students at a Grand Rapids high school flew the flag alongside a Trump political flag at a football game.
Kaepernick, a former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, became theface of Nike’s “Just Do It” campaignin September.
He has emerged as a leading activist in the fight against racial inequality in America after he began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 as a peaceful protest against racial injustice and police brutality.
John G Mabanglo/EPA/REX/Shutterstock
The #TakeAKnee movement, as it came to be called, soon spread to other teams and ignited serious backlash from many including President Trump.
Since taking his stand, Kaepernick, 31, remains unsigned, and in February, he reached a settlement after suing the NFL for colluding against him because of his political beliefs.
Forbesreports that the Air Max 1 USA shoes originally retailed for $120, but are now going for $2,500 on StockX, a streetwear auction site.
Nike’s decision to yank the shoes from shelves has already prompted backlash, including from Arizona governor Doug Ducey, who accused the company of “bow[ing] to the current onslaught of political correctness and historical revisionism” on Twitter.
“Arizona’s economy is doing just fine without Nike,” he wrote. “We don’t need to suck up to companies that consciously denigrate our nation’s history.”
Fox News host Laura Ingraham also criticized the decision, writing onTwitter, “No more @nike sneakers for our family.”
Others, however, praised the move, and praised Kaepernick for taking yet another stand.
“Thank you @Kaepernick7 for shedding light on the fact that Betsy Ross’ flag is racist. I’m sitting here shaking now that I know that my history teachers left this vital piece of information from me,” one userwrote on Twitter.
Another said, “Thank you @Kaepernick7 & @Nike. It’s one thing to know how racist our history is but it is another thing to see people wearing the Betsy Ross symbols of our racist past, esp now!”
source: people.com
