As part of this year's Black History Month Nike have launched a Black History Month UK jersey in celebration of the most influential black British athletes and their contribution to sport, and the jersey is being worn by the England senior men’s national team during the international camp taking place this week.
Nike strongly believes that sport has the power to unite and that all athletes should be treated equally, and the brand is committed to working with black British athletes to explore the challenges they face today and take action in breaking down barriers. The new jersey acts as a story to Nike's message as Raheem Sterling, Tammy Abraham and Marcus Rashford feature in the series that marks a long term commitment from Nike to create change and inspire the next generation of black British athletes.
The jersey has been designed as a symbol of solidarity and a shared identity. Beyond the aesthetic this bold visual is all about making a positive statement and inspiring change. The jersey is being worn by the England senior men’s national team during the current international camp.
Raheem has scored over 100 career goals and has already represented England at senior lever 53 times. Tammy has already scored nine times for Chelsea this season and has just been called up to the England senior men’s team for a competitive fixture for the first time. Marcus, at just 21 years of age, has already won 34 caps for England at international level. Throughout Black History Month UK and beyond, Nike will be celebrating the collective achievements of Raheem, Tammy, Marcus and other black British athletes and their contribution to British sport.
Nike aims to create further dialogue and spark conversation by working with long-term partners such as Chelsea FC, Tottenham Hotspur, The FA, The Premier League and more. Throughout Black History Month UK and beyond, Nike and its partners are committed to levelling the playing field for all black British athletes and creating pathways and opportunities for future generations.
Nike is partnering with Sported over the next 12 months to mentor 12 entrepreneurial young Londoners who are inspiring and enabling the next generation to play more sport in their local communities. The brans are also working with the National Council for the Training of journalists (NCTJ) and PA Learning to directly address the limited visibility of women’s sport in the UK media. Together with NCTJ and PA Learning, Nike is committed to investing in the future generation of sports journalists with a free journalism course designed to equip budding sports journalists with the skills and knowledge to contribute to the women’s sport conversation. The course has received support from the Journalism Diversity Fund and The Black Collective of Media in Sport (BCOMS) who have each recommended the course to their networks resulting in a diverse student pool.
A celebration of black British athletic performance and contribution to sport will be showcased through a photography exhibition at NikeTown London. A partnership with Black In The Day will invite the community to share their stories through the 1948 space in Shoreditch.
