No Respect for Jordan: Part II

"The Original Air Jordan 1"

I caught a lot of heat for my recent article "I've got No Respect For Jordan" over the weekend. So I'm here to take it a step further. In 1985 the Jordan Brand exploded unto the sneaker scene and completely took over. At that time Puma, Fila and Addidas were in heavy rotation. "Air Jordan" then turned the game on it's ear with Nike and a new era was born.

For nearly 26 years kids in the inner-cities of America have been loyal to the Jordan Brand like no other. The shoes cost in excess of $150 to $250 dollars a pair depending the shoe. Now once again I'm talking about kids that really can't afford to buy them. Many of these youngsters that live under or near the poverty level will have on a pair of Jordan's everyday of the week.

Now I'm not mad at Mike because he's a business man and if people are willing to pay that type of money for a pair of shoes then I'm good with that. My wife taught at the high school level some years ago and on the days that the Jordan's would come out the students would skip school to stand in line buy them. Then they'd show up extremely late with a whole new attitude.

When you've got the loyalty of the community behind you and your brand, you're obligated to show up and talk to some kids every now and then Mike.  It's called corporate community involvement bruh. When Wal-mart, Allstate, Southwest Airlines, McDonald’s and other major corporations get our money they make a point to show up from time to time and re-invest some of those profits back into the community. Once again, I'm not asking Mike to hand out money! Have you ever heard the old colloquialism, "If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day! If you teach him to fish, he eats for a lifetime!" I'm just asking him to show up and speak to the kids that are wearing his shoes.

I hear you saying, "How do you know he isn't doing that?" It's too easy to know because we live in a 24 hour news cycle where everybody's got Facebook, Twitter, camera phones and cable TV. If the most recognizable man on the planet, besides Barack Obama, shows up to a school in the hood we'd know about it.

All I'm saying is, don't keep taking money out of the hood and not feel obligated to give a little face time. Even Frank Lucas(American Gangster) sold drugs to the people and gave turkey's away on Thanksgiving. Now if a drug dealer can do that surely "Air Jordan" can stop by and inspire those that are dressed in his gear. 

Mike, the same guys that are supporting you are dying in the street and filling up prison cells at an alarming rate. Your presence could potentially help save a life. These young brothers need to know that you're real and not just some guy on TV. They need to understand that you are a real guy that was cut from his high school team etc. Yeah, they’ve heard the story already but hearing it from you would mean so much more to them.

Sure, there are plenty of us out here giving back but we need your help too. The word of God says, "To whom much is given much is required" Luke 12:48. I remember when Charles Barkley said that he wasn’t a role model and that kids parents should be role their models. That sounds good when it rolls off of the tongue. However, what happens when a kid's father is locked up and his mother’s on drugs. You can’t pick your parents but you can pick your role models playboy.

I believe that we all have an obligation to give back because we are the blessed few. I’m simply making the case that you can't just make a fortune off of the these kids and not acknowledge them. We would hold everyone else accountable wouldn't we? Why not Mike?

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport