Nike has removed all Redskins merchandise from their website. Now, according to a report, the sports apparel giant will not put the team’s merchandise back on their site until they change their name.
The news come from the Athletic who reports source at Nike is claiming that no Redskins gear will be displayed until the team chooses a new name. Though, as the report says, Nike does expect the Redskins to announce a new name “soon.” In order to give them, and other athletic apparel distributors, time to produce and distribute the new merchandise.
Nike’s strong stance against the Redskins stands in stark contrast to the corporate giant’s silence when it comes to the incendiary and controversial Independence Day comments from one of their top pitchmen, Colin Kaepernick.
During America’s 4th of July celebrations, Kaepernick posted a tweet claimin that America has “dehumanized, brutalized, criminalized + terrorized” blacks for centuries. He further called the celebrations commemorating the nation’s founding a “celebration of white supremacy.”
Black ppl have been dehumanized, brutalized, criminalized + terrorized by America for centuries, & are expected to join your commemoration of “independence”, while you enslaved our ancestors. We reject your celebration of white supremacy & look forward to liberation for all. ✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/YCD2SYlgv4
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) July 4, 2020
Breitbart Sports reached out to Nike for comment about Kaepernick’s tweet. Specifically, to find out whether the company supported or agreed with the comment from one of their most high-profile pitchmen.
Nike never responded.
Much of the left has made the case that, when it comes to racial politics, silence equals violence. Does Nike’s silence equal agreement with Kaepernick’s radical activism? Or, is the company merely not willing to defend America and criticize one of their own?
This is not the firs time Nike has indulged Kaepernick’s Independence Day activism. Just prior to the Independence Day holiday last year, news broke that Kaepernick had convinced Nike to ditch the “Betsy Ross Flag” sneakers that the company had produced to commemorate the nation’s founding. As it turns out, Kaepernick had reached out to Nike company officials saying that “he and others felt the Betsy Ross flag is an offensive symbol because of its connection to an era of slavery.”
The Redskins are expected to change their name before the start of the 2020 season.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn
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