On Sept. 5, Nike released a commercial for their 30th anniversary, narrated by former NFL star Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick, who opted out of his 49ers contract in 2017, kneeled during the national anthem to peacefully protest the police brutality and racism that is very much present in America today. Originally, Kaepernick sat down during the anthem, but after advisement from U.S. military veteran and former NFL player Nate Boyer, he opted to kneel so as to show respect to U.S. military veterans. Some people found this to be very disrespectful to the country, even though Kaepernick wasn’t protesting the country, just what’s happening in it. When Nike put him as the narrator of the commercial, these same critics responded by boycotting Nike and burning, cutting up, or otherwise defacing their Nike merchandise.
What sense does it make to burn something that you have already bought, instead of donating it to people who need it? Nike is getting their money either way, so burning their merchandise doesn’t do a bit of harm to the company. In fact, its estimated that Nike earned 43 million dollars in media exposure just 24 hours after the campaign aired.
The burning of Nike merchandise “doesn’t represent the viewpoint and the way that the new generation is thinking when it comes to standing up for what you believe is right, regardless of what people think,” said junior biology major Jeremiah Jones.
A great amount of the younger generation share similar opinions: they find the Nike commercial to be inspiring. Not only does it include Kaepernick, but it includes many powerful, inspiring athletes that have done a lot of good for the world, such as Serena Williams and Lebron James.
In the featured commercial, Kaepernick said, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” This quote references his sacrifice of his NFL career to protest the racism and police brutality in America. Kaepernick has a lot of support with his decision to leave the NFL; it’s a lot of pressure to stop doing your job for what you believe in.
Freshman mass communications major Lilly Spruill says, “I just think it’s empowering, it’s needed and very progressive.” Spruill shares these same thoughts with many of her peers as well.
Trump and the NFL had something to say about this Nike ad as well. While Trump said that the commercial sent a “terrible message,” the NFL said “the social justice issues that Colin and other professional athletes have raised deserve our attention and action.” Police brutality and the ever-present racism in America are issues that must be resolved. Advertisements and actions by public figures, such as Kaepernick, are some of the first steps in taking action against this injustice.
