This past week sports apparel company Nike created a short film named Equality to share a message with their audience. The message advocates if people of any race can play sports and be equal during play; they can also be equal outside of sports. Nike received help from the likes of Lebron James, Serena Williams, Victor Cruz, Gabby Douglas, Kevin Durant, Megan Rapinoe, Dalilah Muhammad, Alicia Keys, and Michael B. Jordan in spreading its message to viewers.
Using Michael B. Jordan as the film’s narrator Nike states:
“Is this the land history promised? The field of play. Where the dream of fairness and mutual respect lives on. Where you are defined by actions, not your looks and beliefs. For too long these ideals have taken refuge inside these lines. Equality should have no boundaries. The bond between players should exist between people. Opportunity should be indiscriminate. Worth should outshine color. The ball should bounce the same for everyone. If we can be equals here, we can be equals everywhere.”
This short film came a week after Golden State Warrior’s Stephen Curry disagreed with Under Armor’s Founder, CEO, and Chairman Kevin Plank calling President Donald Trump an “asset.” Curry is a representative of the sports apparel company. On Tuesday, February 7, 2017 during an interview on CNBC’s “Halftime Report,” Plank said, “To have such a pro-business president is something that is a real asset for the country.” After learning about Plank’s statement, during an interview with The Mercury News’ Marcus Thompson III, Curry said, “I agree with that description if you remove the ‘et from asset.”
Before reaching one-hundred days in office as president, Trump made breaking news several times. His most recent action that created uproar was issuing executive order: Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States. The order temporarily suspended the entry of immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries: Syria, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, and Somalia. In addition, the order stopped all refugees from entering the U.S for 120 days. This order was suspended by several U.S judges.
Athletes using a company they represent to help spread a message about equality is another example of athletes using their platform for solidarity and shedding light on social injustice.
https://storify.com/Shaheem33/athletes-apart-of-the-nike-equality-commercial
During the creation of the short film, the athletes and entertainers in the Nike Commercial took time to explain what this film symbolizes and their views on equality.