Black police group defends Kaepernick, rips others boycotting Nike

The National Black Police Association (NBPA) is defending Colin Kaepernick and praising Nike for including him in its new ad campaign.

In a letter to Nike, Sonia Pruitt, who chairs the association, criticized other police groups for calling for a boycott against the company.

“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,” Pruitt wrote.

{mosads}Nike’s decision to feature Kaepernick sparked backlash from critics of the NFL protests against police brutality and racial injustice. Many people have shared photos of their destroyed Nike products as part of an effort to boycott the company.

Pruitt’s letter comes after the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) called for a boycott of Nike, calling Kaepernick a “shallow dilettante.”

Pruitt wrote that NAPO’s stance shows the group is “out of touch” with the African-American community.

“That NAPO has chosen this matter to take a stance, only perpetuates the narrative that police are racist, with no regard, acknowledgment, respect, or understanding of the issues and concerns of the African American community,” she said.

The Fraternal Order of Police also criticized Nike for the ad campaign.

Kaepernick, who started the on-field protests during the national anthem, has since sued the NFL for allegedly freezing him out of being signed to a team. Nike has defended its decision to include him in the campaign despite the backlash and is planning to run the ads during the NFL’s opener Thursday night.

Pruitt added that members of the NBPA will continue to support Nike and that they will “likely be buying and wearing lots of Nike products in the near future.”