Some College Athletes Are Putting Tape Over The Nike Logos On Their Shoes To Protest Sweatshops

Yahoo- On Tuesday, a group of unidentified students at Georgetown University appeared on campus with white tape covering the Nike logos on their shoes. Their mission: to take a stand against Nike's questionable labor practices abroad.  

Because of the university's partnership with Nike, student athletes are commonly seen sporting Nike and Jordan Brand gear during games. However, social activist Jim Keady, who advocates for the improvement of sweatshop working conditions, has been holding discussions on campus regarding the treatment of workers at Nike's sweatshops abroad.

In a student talk held Monday titled "Behind the Swoosh: Sweatshops and Social Justice," Keady discussed the improper labor practices at Nike sweatshops. According to The Georgetown Voice, he discussed how workers at the factories make only $1.25 per day and described "working and living conditions in these factories as cramped and dirty." 




​You know, we have gotten so wrapped up in these ridiculous racially motivated protests taking place at colleges all over the country that we are missing out on true acts of heroism. Covering up the Nike swoosh. That's how take a stab at the injustices plaguing this world we live in. I can't think of a better way to fight for the youth of third world countries than by wearing the shoes that they make then putting masking tape over the logo. That's how you hit a multi-billion dollar brand wear it hurts...the eyeballs. Give them a sight they can't bear to see. Their product besmirched by a sticky adhesive cloth. That's sure to up the daily wage of sweatshop workers by at least a dime.

If that won't do it then nothing will, because you surely can't expect kids to stop wearing them altogether. Not only because Georgetown is contractually obligated to make sure they wear them, but because those cheaply made sneakers are basically pillows for your feet. They might be made by poorly compensated pre-teens, but you would swear they are the work of angels. You can't full on boycott Nike until they start making a shittier product. That's actually the real problem here. These workers are doing way too good of a job for $1.25 a day. That's probably because they are being threatened with an untimely death if they don't, but the fact still remains. A crappy product = less sales = more efficient protests = raised wages. Everyone knows when you don't feel appreciated at work you have to halfass the fuck out of your job until they inevitably give in and pay you more money. That's a concept as old as the timecard itself. You either start attaching the soles with Elmer's glue, or you depend on a couple college kids that are just trying to make themselves feel less guilty about how privileged they are through the use of a empty gesture. Your choice I guess.