In the 1980s, everyone was rocking Troop. The hottest rappers like LL Cool J and Flava Flav sported it, and streetwear fans couldn’t get enough. Then, word spread about the Klan being the true power behind the brand.
Word spread through the grapevine that Troop was a racist acronym for "To Rule Over Oppressed People" and used our dollars to fund the KKK. Some people claimed to have found racist messages hidden in the lining of their sneakers and jackets.
The controversy intensified when LL Cool J publicly denounced the brand as a KKK-run company on the Oprah Winfrey Show. MC Shan put his feelings on wax with these lyrics: "...Puma's the brand cause the Klan makes Troops." Many Black consumers followed suit, pulling the plug on their support.
The rumor was later disproved but there was no unringing that bell. Troop filed for bankruptcy despite efforts by the company to turn things around by getting endorsements from Black entertainers. Troop’s demise proves this one crucial thing.
When our community bands together, we have the power to destroy anti-Blackness. Imagine if we kept that same energy for everything else we no longer want to exist, like poverty, self-hatred, and racism. Together, WE are a powerful troop.