Last month, a large group of employees at Adidas protested at the brand's North American headquarters over accusations of racism. In recent weeks, competitor Nike has also had similarly troubling allegations levied its way, albeit via a different medium.
In June, now-deactivated Instagram account @blackatnike emerged with a mission statement of "amplifying Black voices from current and former Nike employees." The page featured anonymous submissions from employees of color with allegations of racism ranging from code words for Black shoppers at retail stores to a calculated plot to sell sneakers for cash in low-income areas where residents hadn't made SNKRS purchases due to a perceived lack of credit cards.
"I trained every Coach in my store and when a new role opened up, I wasn't even considered for the promotion," reads one submission. "When I asked why, I was told I 'wasn't ready,' but not given any real feedback on my performance. They hired a white woman instead. Who had to train her? Me."
"The Monday after George Floyd's murder, we have a meeting of 50-plus employees to discuss the upcoming events for the week," reads another. "The Director leading the session started with, 'Let's not waste time on anything irrelevant,' and then proceeded—business as usual."
As of last night, the account was filled with dozens of other allegations. It was also followed by a number of notable Nike employees. Then, by this morning, the page had been deleted. A Nike spokesperson said that the brand has "no knowledge of who owns the accounts or why they were taken down."
In response to the account itself, a Nike spokesperson issued the following statement:
