Colin Kaepernick and Nike

The Authority with Dr. Sanford Richmond

In this episode of The Authority, I discuss the pairing of Nike and exiled NFL star and activist Colin Kaepernick. Since Kaepernick has paired with Nike, according to ESPN, Nike’s stock has risen 6.25 percent, adding 6.38 billion to Nike’s value... http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/24796806/nike-colin-kaepernick-ad-results-record-engagement-says-ceo-mark-parker Ever since Kaepernick took his public stance against racial injustice and police brutality, taking a knee on NFL sidelines on gameday Sundays, a legion of sports pundits, reporters, and figures alike have argued that Kaepernick would be bad for the NFL regarding popularity and TV ratings if he were to ever enter back into the league. But what does the historic rise in Nike’s stock and value due to Kaepernick presence say about that theory? I also focus on Nike’s history of pairing with high profile black celebrities with uncompromising racial politics. From Spike Lee to Lebron James and Serena Williams to now Colin Kaepernick…should Nike get credit for historically accepting and marketing high profile black figures with radical racial politics? Years…even decades from now will Nike be on the right side of history because of their acceptance of such racially and socially outspoken black stars? Or will Nike’s sullied history of exploitative labor and business practices around the world outweigh their public acceptance of such stars? I discuss this topic with Dr. David Leonard, national scholar on race, sports and popular culture.