Adidas to Partner with ADL on Anti-Bigotry Education After Dropping Kanye West
Edited by: TJVNews.com
The sporting goods giant Adidas, which recently ended its “Yeezy” brand partnership with the rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West) over his series of anti-Semitic comments, is donating more than $1 million over four years to the Anti-Defamation League and partnering with the organization an anti-bigotry education, according to a JNS.org report.
#NeverIsNow Rupert Campbell, President of Adidas North America Addresses ADL Never is Now conference in NYC @adidas @ADL_NYNJ #RupertCampbell @antisemitism @StopAntisemites @EndJewHatred pic.twitter.com/aFhfu8ZYPf
— The Jewish Voice (@JewishVoice) November 10, 2022
Adidas and ADL are embarking on “a formal partnership to combat anti-Semitism and hate in sports,” in which they will design a new anti-bigotry curriculum for student athletes as well as efforts engage professional athletes in fighting hate, a spokesperson for ADL told eJewish Philanthropy on Thursday.
JNS also reported that ADL Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Greenblatt had initially called out Adidas for its delayed response to Ye’s anti-Semitism before the company eventually dropped its partnership with the embattled record producer.
“While I wish they did it sooner, Adidas—to their credit—made it abundantly clear that they would not do business with bigots,” Greenblatt said Thursday, as was reported by JNS. “And today I am so pleased that they are here at Never Is Now (an ADL conference in New York City) to announce an incredible commitment that demonstrates that their dedication to fighting anti-Semitism will last long beyond this moment.”
Adidas North America President Rupert Campbell said, “There is no place for anti-Semitism, racism and hatred in sport, within Adidas or within society. We acknowledge that we don’t always get things right. We are not perfect. But in this case, we know without a doubt we made the right decision. The racist and anti-Semitic hate speech by our former partner violated our values,” JNS reported.
In order to sever ties with Ye, Adidas surrendered $2 billion in annual revenue—approximately 40% of its profits. The performer’s net worth dropped from $2 billion to $400 million after Adidas ended the Yeezy partnership, Forbes reported.
“Let me be clear, we own all the intellectual property, we own all the designs, we own all the versions and new colorways, It’s our product,” said Adidas’ Chief Financial Officer Harm Ohlmeyer said, according to a report in the New York Post. “We intend to make use of these rights as early as 2023.”
The Post also reported that Kanye West himself has denounced previous attempts from Adidas to market Yeezy-like shoes without his permission, the Post report indicated
In June, the company released slides that resembled a Yeezy design. West called them “a fake Yeezy made by Adidas themselves” and later said, “I’m not standing for this blatant copying no more.”
In more news about embattled rapper Kanye West, The Post reported that West told staffers that “skinheads and Nazis were his greatest inspiration” — as the workers recalled his “HR nightmare” of a management style, according to a new report.
Now known as Ye, the anti-Semitic rapper hailed his disturbing influences in September as he produced clothing with hoods, snoods and face-covering masks for Paris Fashion Week, a Yeezy employee who witnessed it told Rolling Stone magazine. the Post reported..
He ultimately derailed his career at the show with his “White Lives Matter” shirt — which he told staffers he wanted to carry the message, “We Are N—erish,” one source told the magazine.
The report from Wednesday is just the latest to accuse Ye — who lost his billionaire status over his anti-Semitic statements — of having praised Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, according to the Post report.
