Nike has not responded to a request for comment after Colin Kaepernick, one of their leading pitchmen, called Independence Day a “celebration of white supremacy.”
On Saturday afternoon, as 4th of July festivities were getting underway across the country. Kaepernick took to Twitter and accused America of having “dehumanized, brutalized, criminalized + terrorized” black people for centuries.
Kaepernick, the NFL’s original anthem protester, has not played in the NFL since the end of the 2016 season. After a long legal battle with the NFL, in which he accused the league of “blackballing” him and fellow protester Eric Reid, the NFL eventually settled the suit with Kaepernick. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently apologized for not listening to Kaepernick and other protesters. He then went so far as to say he would “encourage” a team to sign Kaepernick.
Nike has a history of tolerating Kaepernick’s radical activism and frequent attacks on America, especially on the 4th of July. 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.”
Shortly following Kaepernick’s complaint, Nike asked retailers to return the shoes.
While Kaepernick is far from Nike’s #1 pitchman, the former quarterback and original anthem protester seems to have tremendous sway and influence within a company that appears to be completely unwilling to oppose him.
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.
As of the time of this writing, Nike has not responded.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn
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