Author: Gabriel Greening

As we discuss the United States of America in the mid 20th Century, it is very important to realize how many eyes and cameras are pointed to the States’ direction.  Known as a world power and “hailed as [a] leader of the democratic world,” it makes complete sense for the USA to be held responsible for the actions of its government. The idea of ‘equal opportunity’ for each and every citizen is very contradictive and takes a large turn for what the US stands for and how it treats its people as a whole. When persecuting and becoming involved with other world nations about their actions against their own citizens, it’s imperative for the US to be held accountable. The governments own actions will completely shape how other nations see us and will determine whether or not they will continue to be held up on a pedestal for all to see.

As a whole, Brown v. Board was a step in the right direction letting the integration of schools happen and completely extinguish the terrible stigma of  ‘separate but equal.’  Said extremely well in “West African Pilot, published in Lagos, Nigeria… [the US] should set an example for all other nations by taking the lead in removing from its national life all signs and traces of racial intolerance, arrogance or discrimination for which it criticizes some other nations.”

In the series, Eyes on the Prize, the death of a young boy, Emmett Till, was detailed in Episode 1: Awakenings. Before watching Episode one of Eyes on the Prize, I knew the basics of Emmett Till’s death and that one white man got away with the murder of the young boy. As I watched the segment about Till, I realized that the killing was even worse than I remembered it. Only visiting Mississippi to see family, the 14-year-old from Chicago was murdered and body mutilated for ‘talking fresh’ to a white woman in a store. One might think it is best not to voluntarily talk to a white individual while in the South during this era. The best thing to do is to keep it moving and to not pay much mind if you can help it. But according to the woman that Till interacted with, it was enough for two white men to up and lynch, and throw the boy’s body into a river. Not only was Till killed, but when found by authorities, only Mose Wright, his great uncle, could positively identify him. This made a major statement at the time and on a whole generation of enraged Black Americans living in 1955.

For a major statement made, like on JET magazine with a picture of Till’s body, another statement was made when it was revealed that Till never did such a thing and his death was only a result of a racist South out to disarm and harm Black Americans.

https://wooster.kanopy.com/video/awakenings

 

Being that it is Black History Month, companies and businesses alike find some way to celebrate the history of Black Americans and those who have influenced movements from the past. Ranging from Nike’s Black History Month collection of apparel and shoes, celebrations and festivities all around the country, and even our own College of Wooster’s month-long celebrations. These events do well to celebrate the history of African-Americans in the United States and recognize what figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X have fought for. Although, these celebrations do not always hit the target.

A controversial topic was the German-based sports goods company Adidas. Like many other companies, a popular silhouette of a shoe(s) was released.  The particular Adidas shoe ended up being all white and cream with a black sole, getting away from the extravagant treatment that BHM (Black History Month) shoes usually receive. Being the only part of the Adidas BHM Collection that received backlash, the shoe was removed from retailers and discarded from the “Harlem Renaissance” Collection. Adidas also released a statement expressing its regrets about the Adidas “Celebrating Black Culture” Ultra Boost Uncaged shoe. The “Celebrating Black Culture” shoe “did not reflect the spirit or philosophy of how adidas believes we should recognize and honor Black History Month” (Adidas inc).

(https://www.complex.com/sneakers/2019/02/adidas-removes-black-history-month-shoe-following-backlash)

(https://sneakernews.com/2019/02/01/adidas-harlem-renaissance-bhm-shoes-2019/)

After seeing the white BHM Adidas shoe released to the public, it was obvious to me that Adidas did not do their proper research before releasing the shoe. Over the years that the trend of themed-based shoe collections (Christmas, Black History Month, LGBTQ Pride, etc.) has occurred, I can not remember anything controversial such as this happening. Adidas was right to rollback the shoes and keep the three appropriate shoes on the market. When it comes to race and/or identity, it is important to get things as this right so that those in the communities targeted are not offended.