On October 25, 2022, Adidas terminated their partnership with Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), halted production of Yeezy branded products, and ended all payments to Ye and his companies. The split was due to Ye’s antisemetic remarks on social media and in news interviews, as well as Ye wearing a shirt with the phrase “White Lives Matter” – a slogan associated with white supremacists – alongside Black right-wing commentator Candance Owens at Ye’s Paris fashion show.
Adidas stands to lose $650 million after dropping the Yeezy line, which accounted for up to 15% of Adidas’s net income. Gen Z teens share their thoughts on the events, stating the dangers of someone with a huge platform making such hateful and incendiary statements, what they believe are Ye’s motives behind his hurtful actions, and whether or not someone can redeem their career after being “canceled.” The teens provide opinions from their unique perspectives.
Oliver, age 13, who is Jewish, states, “His comments don’t hurt me personally, because I believe he is mentally ill and needs help. But it’s the support he’s gaining after it, saying those comments, that really hurts.”
Ajani, age 16, says, “I think that, as a young black boy in America, Kanye’s racist comments are really hurtful. Being a powerful black voice in America, your voice really matters.”
“He said something about going defCon three on the Jews. I think the danger in Kanye being able to make comments like that with such a huge platform is that the group he’s targeting, namely in this situation, Jewish people, might feel unsafe that somebody with such a huge following can make attacks like that.” – Jack, age 17.
Watch the video on The Chronicle.