By Alexandra DeSanctis
Tuesday, July 02, 2019
Nike has decided to pull its U.S.–themed sneaker that had
been slated for release this week in conjunction with the Fourth of July
holiday, featuring the early American flag created during the American
Revolution, often known as the Betsy Ross flag.
The announcement came after former NFL quarterback Colin
Kaepernick told Nike that the flag is connected to a time when there was
slavery in America and is therefore an offensive symbol that made him and other
activists uncomfortable. “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
spokeswoman for the company said of the decision.
Kaepernick is a partner of Nike’s and faced criticism
last fall after the company featured him in an ad with the caption, “Believe in
something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” It was meant to reference
Kaepernick’s highly publicized and controversial choice to kneel during the
National Anthem when it was played at the start of NFL games, which he called
an act of resistance against “a country that oppresses black people and people
of color.”
Nike’s decision to pull the Betsy Ross sneaker wasn’t
even the first time this week that the company buckled under backlash
from people it evidently wishes to keep happy. Over the weekend, the athletic
giant pulled a sneaker collaboration with Undercover after the brand’s
designer, Jun Takahashi, wrote on Twitter: “No extradition. Go Hong Kong!”
Takahashi’s comment expressed support for liberal democrats in Hong Kong in the
face of the dictates of the Chinese Communist Party — and Nike decided it would
rather be on the safe side, in this case, the side of Chinese nationalism.
So the Chinese government and Colin Kaepernick, then, are
either implicitly or explicitly calling the shots at Nike, pressuring the
company into making business decisions to cater either to this mob or that. And
those decisions aren’t passing without comment.
Arizona governor Doug Ducey, a Republican who generally
avoids culture-war commentary, announced this morning that he has instructed
the Arizona Commerce Authority to withdraw financial incentives that the state
had been providing to Nike to be located in Arizona. “Arizona’s economy is
doing just fine without Nike. We don’t need to suck up to companies that
consciously denigrate our nation’s history,” Ducey wrote on Twitter.
Missouri senator Josh Hawley was similarly critical of
Nike’s decision, noting the company’s willingness to conform to Chinese
demands. “They take advantage of our laws but send jobs overseas for sweatshop
wages,” the Republican tweeted, “partner w repressive regimes, aggressively
avoid paying any US taxes, and then tell Americans to shut up and buy their
stuff.” Senator Ted Cruz (R., Texas), meanwhile, said he plans to stop buying
Nike products until the company “ends its contempt” for American values.
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