![]() NBA legend Michael Jordan and the Jordan brand pledged an additional $100 million. In the wake of the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, and the Black Lives Matter protests, Nike pledged $40 million to support the Black community. “They are top talent in our office,” she said. She currently has three people on her staff who started working retail at the East L.A. “I don’t see it becoming a huge door count, but we will continue to explore opportunities,” added Gonzalez, noting that the stores have been a way to help recruit and elevate diverse talent into Nike’s corporate ranks. With a portfolio of 7,000 branded shops globally, Nike’s eight-store community store format is so far comparatively modest. Although the brand typically opens stores with much fanfare, it’s trying to keep things more low-key because of the pandemic, limiting the number of customers and conducting temperature checks. Nike had been engaged with the Watts community even before the idea to open a store came up last year, through a partnership with the Kobe Bryant Mamba League, Students Run L.A., Street Soccer USA, the Drew League and volunteer activities around the Jordan Downs and Nickerson Gardens housing projects. ![]() In the back, shoes are displayed on floor-to-ceiling shelving, and there’s a spot for recycling old sneakers through the brand’s Old Soles Never Die program. Nike plans to continue to publish the zine twice a year, to “create a platform for the next artists, influencers and athletes,” Gonzalez said. The brand partnered with the Love Watts creative network to connect with community talent, which is also spotlighted in a zine, alongside employee profiles, neighborhood street art and landmarks such as the folk art Watts Towers. ![]() Inside of the Watts door, there are lots of local touches, from the “Watts” logo on the wall designed by rapper and producer Stix, who also wrote a manifesto for the store, to the mural by artist Moses Bell of local community leaders like youth outreach organizer “Sweet” Alice Harris. The store will provide additional grants in 2021, when community organizations can begin applying for a total of $50,000.) (Initial grants are going to organizations including the East Side Riders Bike Club, Peace4Kids and Watts Rams Track and Field. Nike hired 85 percent of the staff from within three miles of the store, is allocating paid volunteer hours for employees to give back and is supporting local organizations through an employee-led grant program. of the brand’s decision to open in Watts, a working class, primarily Latino and Black community with a rich history of art and activism. “We always want to reflect and support the communities that love us ,” said Blanca Gonzalez, vice president and general manager of Nike L.A. is the only city to have two - the Watts location and one in East Los Angeles, which opened in 2015. Nike launched its Community Store concept five years ago, and the Watts door is the eighth to open in North America, with others in Detroit, Brooklyn, Portland, Ore., South Chicago, New Orleans and Washington, D.C. ![]() Nike shares space in the center with several other chains, including Starbucks and Smart & Final. The 9,588-square-foot, single-level space is at the Freedom Plaza Shopping Center, the centerpiece of a 700-unit apartment complex that was recently transformed by developer Primestor from aging public housing into a sustainable mixed-use residential and retail village. Information about benefits can be found here.Nike is today opening its next Community Store, in Los Angeles’ Watts neighborhood. This position has a starting rate of $16.50/hour.
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