Dr. Boyce & Nomalanga: Should Adidas Have Gotten Rid of the “Slave Shoe?”
In this video, Dr. Boyce Watkins and Nomalanga Mhauli-Moses speak about the Adidas slave shoe and whether or not the company should have gotten rid of it. Nomalanga wrote an article about the shoe, stating that Adidas should have stuck with its decision, and that the company took a legitimate risk in their decision. Dr. Boyce Watkins says that the company made the right move to get rid of the shoes.
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Think about the masses of POOR PEOPLE who have helped to bring this company mass wealth…the mothers who struggle to buy your product for their children…and this is how you show your appreciation to them?? I feel it’s MORE than just business 101. If you want to go out on a limb and produce a tennis shoe that will spur the public to buy, WHY pick something that will DIG deep into the hearts and emotions of our people who have struggled for over 200 years to pull up from these same issues…slavery, shackles, hangings? You are just continuing to say to us as black people, WE KNOW WHERE YOU CAME FROM, AND YOU WILL NEVER BE SEEN AS ANYTHING ELSE! You want to make a statement? Use something or someone in your own culture! You have fed off us long enough! WE WILL NOT BUY INTO YOUR CONTINUED DISRESPECT FOR US AS A PEOPLE. WE ARE PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU!!
I certainly would not take any classes from Nomalanga especially not related to Black studies. Her reasoning makes no sense. There’s no playing around with companies thinking they can make profits off us in this way or use us as test pigs for their products.
Adidas is a German company…wasn’t it the Germans who killed he Jews…German’s are just being themselves. Put them out of business by not buying any of their products ever again.
How about this idea. Why don’t black people come out with a RED,BLACK & GREEN Liberation Gym Shoe and call it the
1. The Black Star Line
2. MLK JR. Dream Shoe
3. Malcom X Shoe
4. The Black Panther Gym Shoe
5. The Underground Rail Road Ida B. Wells Soul Sisters of Liberation gym shoes
Then we can use this idea to free some other minds from cheap gym shoe slavery
I don’t think I will ever wear another Adidas shoe. Given the issues associated with being adolescent and the power of wearing the right kicks, this marketing effort takes the phrase of being a slave to fashion to a new level.