Nike’s Betsy Ross controversy highlights new dangers lurking in old American icons
Posted on AllSides July 2nd, 2019
From The Center
An apparent attempt at celebrating America’s history turned into political outrage this week, when Nike pulled its sneakers depicting an early version of the American flag, after former NFL football player Colin Kaepernick reportedly told the company the image is offensive and tied to slavery.
The controversy faced by Nike is the most recent example of the danger of relying on historical icons as modern interpretation changes along with political discord.
The 13-star flag, which was America’s first, is said to have been designed by Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross (though...
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