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The deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor are unfortunately the recent incidents of police brutality and abuse of power. Although police violence towards Black Americans isn’t new, the recent protests across the country are a testament to a social awakening that’s spearheaded a movement.
While change has many different forms, whether it’s voting, protesting, raising awareness, or donating money, individuals within the sneaker community have utilized their platform for a call to action.
Jacques Slade, best known as for his detailed sneaker unboxing videos, and Josh Benedek decided to start #MilesForChange to bring the running and sneaker community together for the fight for racial equality and Black lives.
On Saturday morning, both Jacques and Josh took it to their Twitter and Instagram platforms to start the #MilesForChange challenge. A dollar would be donated to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the George Floyd Memorial Fund, and the Black Youth Project for every mile ran.
Through the weekend, over 13,000 miles were logged in. Other members of the sneaker community pledged to match the donation as a way to amplify the commitment that the running and sneaker community was making for a better tomorrow for Black lives.
A total of over $41,000 dollars were raised. The support, to say the least, was plentiful and bountiful.
Nice Kicks: In the beginning, did either of you have an idea or expectation of how many participants or miles would be run?
Josh and Jacques: When we came up with this challenge on Saturday morning, we anticipated it would resonate within our social channels and running community, but we didn’t expect the groundswell of support we received. What we thought would be a few thousand miles quickly multiplied as it proved to be a great motivator and source of inspiration for many.
Nice Kicks: What do you think it says about community to see such a huge response?
Josh and Jacques: Our goal when we started this challenge was to effect change within our sphere of influence, and we felt that running was the perfect medium to galvanize a community to participate. And while this is truly a small sample size, it does inspire and give us hope that if running can bring people together to fight for racial equality and black lives, then perhaps we are taking steps in the right direction.
Although the #MilesForChange challenge is over, the fight for justice for Black lives is far from over. To learn on other ways to demand change, head over to this link for more tips, donations, petitions, and more.
