It is safe to say that during the past several weeks America has not been at its best. With a pandemic continuing to spread and a human rights fight at the point of boiling over, we’re seeing America reborn and rebuilt. From celebrities, politicians, and citizens all around the globe, the sneaker industry has also joined the fight for equal human rights.
Following the tragic death of George Floyd, Americans have taken to the streets protesting racial inequality. While the protests continue and voices are finally being heard, there’s so much more work to be done for the black community and other communities that often get overlooked. With the black community playing a vital role in the sneaker industry, some brands have already taken a huge step in relaying resources to continue the fight. Nike announced they will be donating $40 million dollars over the next four years to help support the black community on behalf of Nike, Jordan, and Converse. They announced “Systemic racism and the events that have unfolded across America over the past few weeks serve as an urgent reminder of the continued change needed in our society… we believe in a level playing field for all and leveraging the power of sport and our brands to move the world forward.” Upon announcements, many sneakerheads confessed their support of the move by Nike as they do their part in understanding, learning and helping racial injustice.
This past week you may have noticed that many releases did not actually release like originally scheduled. Nike decided to take the week off and push back releases in honor of what’s going on. Supreme also did not go through with their weekly drop as usual and Kanye rescheduled a couple of Yeezys for the rest of the month. We also saw Jerry Lorenzo put together a Fear of God tee with many other brands including but not limited to Off-White and Union which all proceeds went to the George Floyd fund. Just one more example of ways we as a community can shine a light on what is going on and drive people’s attention to the racial injustices many are living with in America.
adidas has not come out with a huge donation announcement like their other competitors but there was a moment on Twitter that was fulfilling to see. While adidas and Nike are always competing with each other, adidas quoted a Nike tweet in support of the message and saying: “Together is how we move forward. Together is how we make change.” The tweet then proceeded to go viral and rightfully so.
To join the fight, fellow adidas creator Kanye donated $2 million to the families of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd which will cover the legal costs for the Arbery and Taylor families, set up a 529 College savings fund to fully cover Tuition for George Floyd’s 6-year old daughter as well as contribute to several black-owned businesses in Chicago and all across the country. West then proceeded to join protests in his hometown of Chicago as he raised awareness and professed his support to the black community.
Jordan Brand then made a huge splash the other day with an official announcement of donating $100 million dollars over the next ten years to organizations dedicated to ensuring racial inequality, social justice and greater access to education. Their statement included meaningful quotes: “The Jordan Brand is us, the Black Community.” and, “Black lives matter. This isn’t a controversial statement.” Along with the huge donation, the meaning behind the message from Jordan Brand was clear, there is no room for racism in America and they’re set out on a mission to do what they can no matter the costs to bring awareness to the ongoing issues that many Black Americans have endured for all too long.
That’s not even all the sneaker industry has done though. GOAT announced that they were establishing a $1 million fund to support social justice which they will contribute to over time with their first donation being $100,000 to The Underground Museum in Los Angeles and The Bail Project to help support protestors demanding change. New Balance also jumped in and will be donating 10,000 pairs of shoes to black organizations in Atlanta while Vans will be donating to a couple of organizations: $100,000 to the NAACP, $50,000 to Color of Change, and $50,000 to the GSA Network. We’re proud of how the sneaker community has come together and we’re happy to say this is likely just the beginning of the huge role the industry will play in the fight vs. racism.
OUR STATEMENT
Here at JustFreshKicks, we want to make it clear that we do not stand for racism in any way. Its sad that we have to say that in 2020, but we’re hopeful we as a community will continue to inspire and support the movement toward justice. For many of us, sneakers are our lives and a big part of who we are. One thing that we cannot forget about is the role the Black Community has played in shaping and building this community up to where it is today. Black Lives Do Matter, and there is no room for racism in the sneaker industry, in our hometowns, in our country, and in our world.
Below is a list of links you can use to further educate yourself and be a part of change. Remember, we’re stronger together and clearly we have some work to do to get there. It might not be an easy ride, but as a community let’s continue do whats right for a better world.
George Floyd Memorial Fund
Black Lives Matter
NAACP
