I have been asked on every social network I am on as well as by friends of mine who honestly want to know what I think.

Trust me - I am no big voice in the Black Sneaker Industry.  You have to go all those folks obsessed with making who's who and top blah blah blah lists.

Thats not me.  Over at ROCKDEEP we try to worry about us and keep things moving......BUT I felt compelled to give a quick take so I could then just share a link which in turn would bring more eyes to the website.

Win Win!!!

Reebok.  Just think to yourself no matter who you are, how just thinking about Reebok resonates with you. 

I have friends who left places to work for them, only to be let go months later after layoffs, when we all know it's pretty unnecessary to let employees go from places making Billions a year.  However that's a story for another blog entry.  I'll try to stay on topic.

Aside from the Iverson and Shaq line what's left?  The Reebok Classic line?  So a now Black Owned business is going to use the British flag on its footwear?  Not to say there are no Black Brits... or is this something against the UK...

Not at all.  (some of my best customers are from the UK.)

No... its about a black owned business saving a brand.  Saving Reebok.  The same brand many complained didn't do what it needed to be diverse in it's hiring and have enough black folks in management. 

Now you are coming to the rescue to save them?  I mean it's very Christian of you... but we are talking business.

We as a collective people are always asking to be places where we are not wanted.  Wanting seats at tables we aren't welcome at. 

At what point will we just be ok making our own tables and sitting there and inviting all those we want to sit there?  I can only hope in 2021 there's less begging for inclusion and diversity and more creating for ourselves.

There has to be a time where we decide we will stop saving others from imminent failure in business only to get no credit or credit taken from us right??

The other side of this coin?  Consumers who are excited about the notion that Master P. will make Reebok great again, JUST by owning it.

If this was the case, why not just sell Malls, the stores that reside in them and other industries which are failing to black folks... no wait.  Famous black folks.

See this is our problem collectively. (here's where I speak truth and shame yall's devil and have so many irked that I said it.)

We always wait for something to either be popular, seen on a famous person or worn by rich NON black folks to jump on the train and support.

How many times do we have to see stat's that we are the biggest consumers and spenders in the world?  This is also a bad thing, but again, lets save that for another blog post.

Here's a novel thought and potential solution.  (My Daddy said never bring up a problem without a possible solution.)

Keep your billions, be it the $2.1 asking or $1.2 offered.  Build up your own business, infrastructure, processes and hire all the folks you want.  

Black, White, and then some.  Let someone ELSE purchase Reebok and fail.

OR... do all the above, but offer to either purchase the rights to the Iverson and Shaq line and expand what you already have.  

This way you aren't the one laying off the folks you don't need and you are keeping or giving the best of the best from Reebok the opportunity to come over.

You avoid all the HR nightmares and you firing folks isn't on your dime or conscience....because you will need to let go plenty of folks to move forward and positively. 

You then open your doors up to all those who have been negatively impacted at Nike and Adidas or other places we see all the articles about.

I understand some folks purchase things for ego, to say they were able to do it.  However I prefer we kept that to needless Bugatti's and Lambo's and used the wealth we have to enhance what we already have.

Percy Miller is a pretty smart dude.  I hope he decides to change his mind at the last minute because the story of him building up his own company is far greater than him saving Reebok in the community.

At least it should be.

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For more great blogs from the CEO of ROCKDEEP just keep coming back here.  If you expect the greatest of journalism this is NOT the place for you.
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