It’s not easy to find the video anymore. The video below was pulled from New Balance India. On Twitter the video was shared by Bishop Talbert Swan:
New Balance "Detention" commercial depicts a young Black man writing "I Will Not Walk" on the chalk board. He's scolded by the teacher, "These hallways were made for running, you should know better Trayvon…where were you walking from?"
Subliminal message?#TrayvonMartin pic.twitter.com/anQktYdj75
— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) March 24, 2019
I’m sharing the video from YouTube, but it may not show up since NB is in damage control.
I have to begin by stating that I knew immediately who the athlete was and when I watched, it wasn’t jarring at all until I thought about it. Trayvon Bromell can’t be blamed for sharing his name with Trayvon Martin who was brutally murdered by an overly zealous and racist self described neighborhood watchman, George Zimmerman while walking home. As an athlete Bromell’s goal is to increase his profile and earn money via sponsorships which will enable him to compete at the highest level.
New Balance has been building a diverse roster of athletes in the last few years and it’s commendable, but a look under the robe and the company is led by a conservative who shows continued financial support for President Trump and the Republican Party. As Trump stokes the fires of hatred in this country with his rhetoric, New Balance at one point was taken on as the brand of the Alt Right. As a private company New Balance doesn’t have to answer any questions about thier political leanings and I may be making something out of nothing, but if you look through the Bishops’ timeline, those who didn’t know who Bromell was make very good points in stating that the faux Dean in the video could have easily used Bromell’s last name. The point is also raised that the admonishing tone of, “Where were you walking from?” is too much of a coincidence and I agree.
There is always a fine line that ad companies appear to push along with fashion companies. These fine lines wouldn’t be crossed if there were diverse members on the staff who could raise the question of sensitivity prior to products or ads being launched. Unfortunately, we are now living in a world where racist rhetoric can lead to the presidency and this has emboldened an entire movement leading to the highest rate of violent and racist incidences in the last 30 years.
I wrote this post because as New Balance begins removing videos this could be swept under the rug. The brand doesn’t get a pass. They should have to answer for creating an insensitive and thoughtless campaign. Am I wrong?
