NewsCovering Louisiana

Actions

UPDATE: NOLA Mayor issues statement on Kenner Nike “ban”

Posted at 2:49 PM, Sep 10, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-10 17:43:33-04

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell issued the following statement regarding the Kenner Nike Ban:

“As I have emphasized repeatedly since taking office: I believe in the values the people of New Orleans stand for — being inclusive, being accepting and supportive of all our people, committing to social justice, and being intentional about how we make decisions,” said Mayor Cantrell. “The mandate handed down by Kenner’s mayor is out of step with those values, and not reflective of the way our City does business. Although the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is located in Kenner, it is owned and governed by the City of New Orleans. Let me assure you that our airport will continue to uphold our City’s values.”

Earlier today, the Mayor of Kenner has issued a statement on his memo banning Nike products from being purchased by booster clubs at the city’s parks, according to the Advocate.

The following is a portion of the statement provided to The Advocate:

“Private, for-profit companies have every right to advertise how they wish, even if it means using advertising to promote corporate political beliefs. Individuals also have every right to support or oppose any company or brand for any reason. Those freedoms should never be lost.

I applaud Nike’s message of inclusion and encouragement for everyone to be their best and dream big. But I also recognize that Nike, in its zeal to sell shoes, chose to promote and sell a political message.”

Read more here from the Advocate.

Mayor Ben Zahn says that Nike products are still allowed to be worn on the property. Zahn clarified his stance by saying he is banning booster clubs from using funds to purchase Nike equipment and gear to “protect taxpayer dollars from being used in a political campaign.”

Our original story can be found here