I don’t know about you, but when I heard about this Nike boycott, I thought it was a joke. All I could think was, “who would be burning clothes that they already spent their hard-earned money on?” Colin Kaepernick is a former San Francisco 49ers quarterback. In 2016, there was an uproar from the public when Kaepernick sat on the bench during the national anthem. Kaepernick continued to refuse to stand for the national anthem but eventually went from sitting to kneeling. One standpoint on this protest is that people do not believe that the flag stands for or represents what it is supposed to. Also, they are practicing their first amendment by doing so. Kaepernick made it known that his kneeling was a way of addressing police brutality against African-Americans. However, the main argument against kneeling or sitting during the national anthem is that it is disrespectful and unpatriotic because you are refusing to show respect to the nation’s flag, and therefore disrespecting those who have served in the military.
Well, Nike decided to feature Kaepernick in their 30th-anniversary ad campaign. In the ad, Kaepernick said, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” With that alone, it wasn’t hard to guess what side Nike stands on. This left a lot of their customers furious, furious enough that they cut Nike logos out of their clothing. Many people see two opposing sides; they see this protest as so black and white. It is crucial to realize that just because Kaepernick is against police brutality and the other many injustices that POC face, does not mean that he is disrespecting those who served this country. I think it’s important that we remember that Kaepernick went from sitting to kneeling. Kneeling is a notion of respect, reverence, and acknowledgment. People have been expressing their hate for Nike because of this bold move in their campaign, but the campaign has so many essential messages behind it. If you haven’t seen it, please do.
The underlying message is that no matter your social class, citizenship status, disability, race, gender, or anything that is generally thought to hold you back in life, you should follow your dreams. The message is powerful, especially with Kaepernick as the face of it, as he has been struggling to get signed onto a team ever since his act of kneeling. He sacrificed everything for something he truly believes in. The Nike ad is inspirational, not controversial! Just because you are for something, doesn’t mean you are completely against everything else. We all have many things we feel strongly about but can still respect and acknowledge others. It’s something that we seem to forget.