Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / Jan. 1, 2018, edition 1 / Page 2
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THE BLUE BANNER EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SARAH SHADBURNE SSHAbBUR@UNCA.EDU NEWS EDITOR MAGGIE HADDOCK MHADDOCK@UNCA.EDU ARTS 8 FEATURES EDITOR TAYLOR SEXTON TSEXTON@UNCA.EDU ASSISTANT A& F EDITOR MADDY SHERER MSHERER1@UNCA.EDU OPINION EDITOR KATIE DEVOE KDEVOE@UNCA.EDU SPORTS EDITOR SARAH SHADBURNE SSHADBUR@UNCA.EDU PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR EMMA JORDAN EJORDAN@UNCA.EDU COPY EDITOR BRAILEY SHERIDAN BSHERIDA@UNCA.EDU LAYOUT EDITOR SANTIAGO BONILLA SBONILLA@UNCA.EDU ADVERTISING MANAGER Tl FEAN IE BOONE TB00NE1@UNCA.EDU FACULTY ADVISER MICHAEL GOUGE The Blue Banner is UNO Asheville’s student newspaper. We publish each Tuesday except during summer ses sions, finals week and holiday breaks. Our office is in Karpen 019. The Blue Banner is a designated forum for free speech and welcomes letters to the editor, considering them on the basis of interest, space and timeliness. Letters and articles should be emailed to the editor-in-chief or to the appropriate section editor. Letters should include the writer’s name, year in school and major, or other relation ship to UNCA. Include a phone number to aid in verification. All articles are subject to editing. NIKE AD SPARKS PRIVILEGED PROTEST EDITORIAL STAFF thebluebanner@unca.edu This past week, Nike released an advertisement featuring a close up of Colin Kaepernick with the words “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything” written across his face. The ad sparked controversy and protests against Nike. These protests include burning, ripping or cutting up Nike products to show disapproval for the brand and the “anti-American message” they supposedly send to their consumers. This “anti-American message” frankly, is not the case. Nike uses their platform to bring attention to systematic racism experienced by Black Americans every day. Meaning the “protest” really serves as a way for white Americans to contin ue to defend their advantage in society instead of coming face-to-face with the privilege they possess for being white. The idea that this campaign is “anti-American” or “anti-military” fundamentally does not make sense. The military fights for our right to free speech and protest making this campaign and Kaepernicks kneeling in every way more American than the “protest” itself The fact that Americans feel destroying their merchandise is the most effective way to get their point across, only shows their privilege. Millions of people across the country do not have access to adequate clothing or shoes, especially within the demographic being brought to atten tion by Nike, yet many of the protesters are throwing away or destroying their merchandise without blinking an eye. This socioeconomic divide is just one example of the tremendous disenfran chisement of Black Americans Nike and Kaepernick are trying to bring attention to. Instead of destroying Nike mer chandise, protestors should donate their unwanted Nike products to those in need. Not only would that be less wasteful, but maybe then they could find better, more effective ways to pro test. According to Edison Trends, Nike’s sales have gone up 31 percent since the release of the ad campaign, proving that the protests are ineffective and bring more attention to the topics that they wish to silence. We at “The Blue Banner” stand by Nike as well as Colin Kaepernick and the message they communicate with the American public. CLARIFICATION, in the last issue we insinuated UNC Asheville would be sending James Smith to San Francisco for the Global Climate Action Summit. He actually will be paying for his own passage.
University of North Carolina at Asheville Student Newspaper
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Jan. 1, 2018, edition 1
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