Dwayne Johnson, Under Armour postpone sneaker launch to protest racial injustice
August 27, 2020
(Reuters) – Actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson said on Thursday he was postponing the launch of his new sneakers that are in collaboration with Under Armour Inc to protest against racial injustice.
The move from the Wrestler-turned-movie star follows the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday.
“Out of respect for Jacob Blake & his family we’ll postpone our @projectrock @underarmour PR3 launch today,” Johnson tweeted https://twitter.com/TheRock/status/1298889132890976257.
“Unbelievable we’re here again. Shot 7xs. In the back. In front of his kids. There’s no progress without humanity.”
The shooting sparked three nights of civil unrest that has included a wave of arson, widespread vandalism and a separate shooting that claimed two lives.
The incident also triggered protests from many in the sporting community including the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer that postponed games, while two-time tennis Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka pulled out of a tournament after reaching the semi-finals.
Johnson, who is one of the of the world’s highest-paid actors, had partnered up with Under Armour in 2016 to design a sportswear line called ‘Project Rock.’ They were set to launch a new line of sneakers on Thursday.
Under Armour did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.
(Reporting by Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)