Jordan dropped the ball when it came to politics.
At one point in time kids were being murdered for these shoes. Even today violence still occurs when Jordan releases a new shoe.
Michael Jordan could do no wrong in my eyes growing up. I remember wanting a pair of his coveted shoes growing up but my family was more concerned with feeding my 3 siblings and Ik properly, rather than making sure we had the most expensive pair of shoes like m. Most families in the inner cities could not afford a pair of shoes that cost $140-150 at the time, but some went to extreme measures to get them. Michael Jordan was and still is the greatest basketball player to play the game.
Just like my generation I use to admire Michael Jordan, I wanted to “Be Like Mike” as the famous Gatorade commercial use to say.
During my time as a collegiate basketball player I started to think about how much our society looked up to athletes. I use to imagine the impact Michael Jordan could have had if he would have spoke out on any number of problems affecting millions of people during the late 80’s and early 90’s.
Michael Jordan is arguably the most famous influential Black person ever.
The most influential black person in the world wanted nothing to do with the black community if it did not involve basketball. Michael Jordan could have changed the way people viewed black athletes, and ultimately how they viewed black people. Jordan had the power to change the whole landscape of not only basketball but society as well. MJ represents everything that’s wrong with sports. He represents everything wrong with African Americans playing sports professionally.
Michael Jordan has done everything in his power to distance himself from the black community.
The black community continues to support Michael Jordan by buying his shoes religiously. Why do we allow Michael Jordan to turn his back on us? How has Jordan supported the black community?
Jordan is just as much responsible for the commercialization of black culture than any individual or corporation. Its estimated that Jordan made over 10 Billion dollars for the various companies that endorsed him during his playing career. He allowed corporations like Nike and Gatorade to market him using styles, images, and music associated with urban black culture. He also allowed Nike to exploit poor people in 3rd world countries paying people slave wages.
At one point in inner cities all over this country kids were killing kids for a pair of Air Jordan’s. Jordan was asked about homicides that were linked to his shoes and what he thought about it. He was asked several times about how he felt about the kids who could not afford his shoes, he was also asked about the sweatshops in 3rd world countries that made his shoes during his playing days. He stayed silent on all three issues. Without hesitation he denied us. He chose to stay silent, even though the issues had everything to do with him.
Jordan, who is a millionaire, did not have to give money nor time to make a change. All Michael Jordan had to do was show concern for the kids who had lost their lives over his shoes. All he had to do was acknowledge the poverty that was plaguing 3rd world countries, along with black communities all over this nation.
I never understood how the black community can get mad at white people who ignore issues within the community but won’t say a word about black people who are in a position financially and socially to actually bring about change. If nothing else, they should use their influence to bring attention to serious issues that continue to get swept under the rug.
Michael Jordan is a hero to most but he never did anything for me except ignore the fact that I could not afford his shoes.