According to reports, Democratic Select Committee by a group of black members of the House of Representatives are asking Nike executives for a meeting after a Converse advertisement featuring K pop star Karina drew criticism from people who said the imagery resembled Ku Klux Klan and lynching imagery.
For skateboarders who have followed Converse CONS over the years, the timing is notable.
We recently reported on the cuts to the Converse skate team, which saw several longtime riders leave the company as the CONS program underwent a major reshuffle.
READ MORE: Nike’s Converse CONS Skate Team Gets Cut as Brand Reshapes Skate Program
Sean Pablo has parted ways with Converse after more than a decade with the company, while Milton Martinez announced the end of his 15 year run and said that almost the entire team had been let go.
Now another Converse campaign has landed the company in a different kind of controversy.
The advertisement showed Karina wearing a long white skirt while holding a pair of black Chuck 70 X sneakers.
Images from the campaign spread across social media, where critics argued that the clothing resembled imagery associated with the KKK and the history of lynching.
Converse eventually removed the advertisement and apologized, saying the image was deeply upsetting and should not have been published.
The Congressional Black Caucus is now asking to meet with Nike executives about the situation.
Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke, a Democrat from New York, addressed the controversy in a statement after members gathered for an event celebrating Black achievement and leadership.
READ MORE: Corporate Skate Shoes Converse Apologizes After Ad Draws KKK and White Supremacist Comparisons
“With 62 Members of Congress gathered to celebrate Black excellence, honor the contributions of those who came before us, and invest in the next generation of Black leaders,” Clarke said, “it was particularly disheartening to see an advertisement that many found deeply insensitive.”
Clarke said the group wants to discuss corporate responsibility and how companies review advertising before it reaches the public.
For Converse, the issue comes at an awkward time. The company has spent decades connected to skateboarding, with CONS becoming one of the more recognizable footwear programs in the scene. Its roster has included influential skaters, while its videos and products have helped establish a distinct identity within skate culture.
That program has recently faced its own questions following the team cuts.
At the same time, Nike is dealing with broader business problems. The company was removed from the S&P 100 on September 21 after nearly 18 years in the index. Nike remains part of the S&P 500, so the change does not mean the company has been removed from that index altogether.
READ MORE: Corporate Skate Shoe Giant Nike to be Removed From S&P 100 as Stock Decline Deepens
Nike is also in the middle of a turnaround under CEO Elliott Hill after years of weaker sales and increased competition. Converse has been particularly affected, with Nike reporting that Converse revenue fell 31 percent during fiscal 2026, dropping from $1.692 billion to $1.174 billion.
That puts the recent CONS cuts into a wider corporate picture. Converse is being reshaped while its parent company attempts to improve its overall business performance.
The changes at CONS are probably the most immediate concern.
A brand that once maintained a substantial roster of riders now has a much smaller presence, leaving questions about how much attention skateboarding will receive from Converse going forward.
The advertising controversy adds another issue for Nike executives to deal with as the company works through those changes.
For a company with such a long history in skateboarding, there is plenty happening behind the scenes at Converse right now.