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One day after a national organization representing police groups across America called for its members to boycott Nike for its support of Colin Kaepernick, a group of black police officers responded by telling the apparel company that they will keep copping the new Nikes.




On Tuesday, the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), a collection of police unions and groups from across the United States, released a newsletter telling its members across the country to boycott Nike, according to Fox Carolina. The collection of uniformed snowflakes then sent a letter to Nike’s President and CEO whining about the company’s decision to use Kaepernick as the face of its campaign celebrating 30 years of “Just Do It.”

While the letter was white with a substance that was either dried salt from white tears or powdered doughnut residue, The Root has managed to obtain a copy:

Dear Chairman Parker, On behalf of the more than 241,000 law enforcement officers represented by our Association across the country, I write to you to condemn in the strongest possible terms your selection of Colin Kaepernick for Nike’s “Just Do It” ad campaign. Mr. Kaepernick is known, not as a successful athlete, but as a shallow dilettante seeking to gain notoriety by disrespecting the flag for which so many Americans have fought and died. The inclusion of Mr. Kaepernick in Nike’s “Just Do It” ad campaign also perpetuates the falsehood that police are racist and aiming to use force against African Americans and persons of color. In reality, officers across the nation risk their lives not only protecting the athletes featured in Nike’s various campaigns, but also serve aspiring athletes across the country who use the Nike brand, through the thousands of Police Athletic Leagues, Boys and Girls Clubs and Big Brother/Big Sister programs where our officers donate their time and energy. They deserve to have the respect and full support of corporate citizens like Nike. Adding to the insult is the image of Mr. Kaepernick from the campaign featuring the quote “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” The fact that Mr. Kaepernick is no longer a starting NFL player does not equate to him being someone who has “sacrificed everything”. To truly understand what it means to “believe in something” and “sacrifice everything”, you should look to Arlington National Cemetery, or to the National LawEnforcement Officers’ Memorial in Washington, D.C., or to the trauma unit of a military hospital. The brave men and women of every race and color buried there, memorialized there, healing there, believed in this nation and our flag and exemplify the true meaning of“sacrifice”. Sincerely, Michael McHale

After the letter was made public, the National Black Police Association made clear that they should not be included in the 241,000 police officers on whose “behalf” the NAPO claimed to speak, the Intercept reports.


Basically, the letter, which can be read here, says: “Nah bruh. That’s just the white dudes.”

“It is with great dismay that we were made aware of a letter that you received from the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) regarding the use of Colin Kaepernick in your ‘Just Do It’ advertising campaign,” the letter begins. “The National Black Police Asociation (NBPA) is not in agreement on this matter and we strongly condemn the call for police officers and their families to boycott Nike and its products.”

The letter stated:

Your inclusion of Mr. Kaepernick in your ads seems appropriate to us. We live in a country where the 1st Amendment is a right of the people. Mr. Kaepernick chose to exercise his right where his passion was—on the football field. NAPO believes that Mr. Kaepernick’s choice to openly protest issues surrounding police brutality, racism and social injustice in this country makes him anti-police. On the contrary, the NBPA believes that Mr. Kaepernick’s stance is in direct alignment with what law enforcement stands for — the protection of a people, their human rights, their dignity, their safety, and their rights as American citizens.


OK, I must admit that I did a small, slightly Diddy-ish Holy Ghost shout after reading that paragraph.

The organization noted, “For NAPO to presuppose that Mr. Kaepernick has not made sacrifices because he did not die on a battlefield, shows you just how out of touch NAPO is with the African American community,” adding that: “ If they had asked the NBPA, we would have told them they were out of line. ”


“We will likely be buying and wearing a lot of Nikes in the near future,” the letter concludes.

Although this letter gave me great joy, I must admit that I don’t understand it.

If the black police officers aren’t offended by Kaepernick’s protest and seem to understand that protesting police brutality doesn’t mean he is protesting all police, then why are the white cops so mad? If some veterans can understand that the protest has nothing to do with the troops, the flag or the anthem, then why are some white people burning their socks?


Ooooh ... I get it now. It’s just the racist ones!

They’re protesting because they hate black people.

And some people might counter that argument with the fact that the NAPO is not racist. They might say that police officers boycotting Nike and white people burning their Air Force 45s have nothing to do with racism. They might even ask how I could misconstrue the reason for their boycott and accuse them of disrespect and hate when they have publicly stated the reason for their protest.


“Exactly,” said Colin Kaepernick.

Exactly.