After police unions threaten Nike with boycotts, black officers insist they stand with Kaepernick

Those who despise Colin Kaepernick—for his originally silent and always peaceful on-field protests against law enforcement’s rampant racism and unchecked brutality against people of color—are always quick to hide behind baseless accusations about what they believe are Kap’s real motivations. “He hates America!” some say. “He hates the military!” others shriek. All ignore the former San Francisco 49er’s own reasoning for his protest.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL Media in an exclusive interview after the game. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

“This is not something that I am going to run by anybody,” he said. “I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right.”

And while they did take football away, Kaepernick announced a massive “Just Do It” endorsement deal with Nike this week, so the maniacs got a whole new target for their thinly cloaked racist rage just in time for football season. Obviously, these mouth-breathers immediately started burning their shoes and cutting their socks in a wholly ineffective protest. On Thursday, a tiny Christian college nobody really cares about even vowed to back out on their uniform deals with the global shoe and apparel company.

“If Nike is ashamed of America, we are ashamed of them,” College of the Ozarks President Jerry C. Davis said in a statement. “We also believe that those who know what sacrifice is all about are more likely to be wearing a military uniform than an athletic uniform.”

Honestly, Nike’s been a company worthy of our condemnation for decades, and the brand has sponsored Kaepernick in some form since 2011, but apparently those angry white people don’t care about things like sweatshop labor and a well-documented corporate culture of blatant sexism. Honestly, the celebration surrounding the Kap campaign indicates that happy people of all races don’t seem to care about such things, either.

But I digress.

In a rare, if misguided, acknowledgment of what Kaepernick is actually fighting against, the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) penned what they probably thought was a brilliantly blistering letter to the head honcho over at Nike.

Dear Chairman Parker,

On behalf of the more than 241,000 law enforcement officers represented by our Association across the country, I write to you to condemn in the strongest possible terms your selection of Colin Kaepernick for Nike’s “Just Do It” ad campaign. Mr. Kaepernick is known, not as a successful athlete, but as a shallow dilettante seeking to gain notoriety by disrespecting the flag for which so many Americans have fought and died.

The inclusion of Mr. Kaepernick in Nike’s “Just Do It” ad campaign also perpetuates the falsehood that police are racist and aiming to use force against African Americans and persons of color. In reality, officers across the nation risk their lives not only protecting the athletes featured in Nike’s various campaigns, but also serve aspiring athletes across the country who use the Nike brand, through the thousands of Police Athletic Leagues, Boys and Girls Clubs and Big Brother/Big Sister programs where our officers donate their time and energy. They deserve to have the respect and full support of corporate citizens like Nike.

Adding to the insult is the image of Mr. Kaepernick from the campaign featuring the quote “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” The fact that Mr. Kaepernick is no longer a starting NFL player does not equate to him being someone who has “sacrificed everything”. To truly understand what it means to “believe in something” and “sacrifice everything,” you should look to Arlington National Cemetery, or to the National Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial in Washington, D.C., or to the trauma unit of a military hospital. The brave men and women of every race and color buried there, memorialized there, healing there, believed in this nation and our flag and exemplify the true meaning of “sacrifice.”

Sincerely,

Michael McHale

President

The blue minds at NAPO obviously felt certain not only that they spoke for all of law enforcement, but that Nike would duck and run for cover when they read the letter, and pull the entire campaign, and shame Kaepernick, and send NAPO an Edible Arrangement or something to make up for it.

Thing is …

Thing is, McHale and the rest of NAPO apparently forgot to ask their black colleagues how they felt about things. And I use “forgot” loosely, because it’s more likely that they already knew how their black colleagues felt about things. 

But just in case they forgot, the National Black Police Association went on ahead and cleared things up for NAPO and Nike in their own open letter. 

Mr. Parker:

It is with great dismay that we were made aware of a letter that you received from the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) regarding your use of Colin Kaepernick in your new “Just Do It” advertising campaign. The National Black Police Association (NBPA) is not in agreement with NAPO on this matter, and we strongly condemn their call for police officers and their families to boycott Nike and its products.

Your inclusion of Mr. Kaepernick in your ads seems appropriate to us. We live in a country where the 1st Amendment is a right of the people. Mr. Kaepernick chose to exercise his right where his passion was—on the football field. NAPO believes that Mr. Kaepernick’s choice to openly protest issues surrounding police brutality, racism, and social injustices in this country makes him anti-police. On the contrary, the NBPA believes that Mr. Kaepernick’s stance is in direct alignment with what law enforcement stands for—the protection of a people, their human rights, their dignity, their safety, and their rights as American citizens. NAPO has shown an adeptness at maintaining the police status quo and the tone in their letter further validates Mr. Kaepernick’s concerns, as it undermines the trust that is needed by law enforcement in order for the profession to maintain its legitimacy. That NAPO has chosen this matter to take a stance only perpetuates the narrative that police are racist, with no regard, acknowledgment, respect, or understanding of the issues and concerns of the African-American community.

Your quote “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” is also appropriate as it relates to Mr. Kaepernick. For NAPO to presuppose that Mr. Kaepernick has not made sacrifices because he did not die on a battlefield shows you how out of touch NAPO is with the African-American community. We would like for them to stop their false narrative that you are not worthy of respect unless you were in the military or worked in law enforcement. The beauty of this country are the countless sacrifices that all people make in their everyday lives. The African-American community makes a sacrifice each time a life is unjustly lost at the hands of the very people who should protect them. A sacrifice is made each time the criminal justice system treats people of color as less than. A sacrifice is made each time a letter is sent asking officers to boycott a corporation, without asking those very African-American officers who are most affected, what their opinion is. 

If they had asked the NBPA, we would have told them that they are out of line, and that the NBPA supports any person or group who exercises their right to peacefully protest against any form of social injustice, including police brutality and racism.

The NBPA proudly supports Nike and your use of Mr. Kaepernick in your new “Just Do It” advertising campaign. Truth and upholding the Constitutional rights of citizens are cornerstones of leadership in policing. Our mission includes striving constantly to bridge the gap between law enforcement and our communities—we are committed to ensuring equity for the community, as we work to enhance trust, legitimacy, transparency, and accountability in policing. 

We will likely be buying and wearing lots of Nike products in the near future.

Best wishes,

Sonia Y.W. Pruitt
National Chairperson

It’s fascinating how some people listen, and some people don’t. How some people comprehend, how some people won’t. And how some people won’t even listen to the veterans whose honor they supposedly are defending. 

Face it: Racism is one hell of a drug.