Sneakers & Equality for All

By Aisha R. Arrington
President & CEO – Fort Wayne Urban League

“It’s not about the shoes, it’s what you do in them.” – Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan’s feet bled so badly that the blood soaked his socks during the March 8, 1998, Bulls vs Knicks game at Madison Square Garden. He was wearing the original Air Jordan sneaker that debuted April 1, 1985. He’d gone back to we that sneaker to pay homage to his last game at the Garden – but hadn’t considered that he didn’t wear the same size shoe as he had 13 years prior or how the original Air Jordan lacked the supports and comforts that were standards in the newer versions of his sneakers. While MJ shined that night scoring 42 points, he would be the first to tell you that he was a basketball player not a role model like the “Be Like Mike” commercials implied nor was he into social justice issues or politics, famously saying once, “Republicans buy sneakers, too.” However, his sneakers influenced culture in a way that had never been seen before. For some, sporting a new pair of Air Jordans meant status, success, and sent the message of greatness. For others, critical of MJ and his refusal to be more than a basketball player, it was a lost opportunity to address issues of racism, discrimination, barriers, and disparities that existed in the Black community.

Bill Russell, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, took another approach. It was the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star sneaker that helped Russell win 11 NBA championships. He’s known for the sneaker but also for marching with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and standing with Muhammad Ali. Russell fought for civil rights, sometimes putting his own life in danger. In 2020, Russell is quoted as saying; “And I sincerely hope that these kinds of strange days are forever behind us, and that real, lasting change will finally be realized. Our lives depend on it.” He’s remembered not only for what he did on the court but how the Chuck Taylor All Star, the sneakers he wore, became a symbol of activism, endurance, and the fight for real change.

Kamala Harris and her 2024 Presidential campaign created a whole new following of people supporting the Converse sneaker. If she had won, she just may have stepped confidently into the Oval Office wearing a pair of Chucks. There was even a Facebook page created that was entitled “Chucks and Pearls”, a nod to Harris’s sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. (AKA). The page had millions of followers and united women throughout the Divine Nine. Converse Chuck Taylors were everywhere again and it’s all a reflection of just how a sneaker can represent so much more than a laced-up shoe on a person’s foot.

It wasn’t just athletes who were able to use sneakers to support their cause. RUN DMC, the iconic 80’s rap group, turned pop culture upside down when it dropped their hit song “My Adidas” while sporting unlaced Adidas Super Star sneakers. Soon to follow DMC’s success and influence were groups like N.W.A. whose controversial rap song “F*** the Police” and lyric “the authority to kill a minority” became an anthem and outcry against police brutality after the Rodney King beating, and again after the death of George Floyd. The group embraced an eclectic taste in sneakers, but the Nike Cortez became a signature fashion statement for group member Easy E. Without a doubt, the sneakers N.W.A. chose to wear on stage sent a message so powerful that it didn’t need a lyric.

It’s been over 50 years since Northrop High School’s Boys Basketball team became state champions. However, Fort Wayne’s very own Walter Jordan, Indiana Basketball Hall of Famer, remembers what sneakers he wore in that 1974 championship game, “Orange Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars,” he replied in a 2024 email message.

Sneakers can also represent winning & who doesn’t want to be a winner?

Fort Wayne Urban League will be hosting their 2nd Annual Equality for All Sneaker Ball, Saturday, September 6th to help raise dollars for their mission. Equality and justice for all is possible with forward steps; preferably while wearing sneakers that tell a story of hope & a winning spirit.