NHL Team Deletes ‘Tone-Deaf’ Juneteenth Tweet With Shark Mascot Breaking Slave’s Chains

A since-deleted post from the San Jose Sharks is making waves. The communications department for the NHL team is taking some heat for what many believe to be an insensitive (or at least foolhardy) reference to Juneteenth, the day marking the official emancipation of slaves in America.

Ahead of the now-official June 19 holiday, the Twitter account for the Sharks posted a new image for their #WallpaperWednesday campaign in which the team’s mascot breaks a slave’s chains. The tweet was captioned, “Celebrate freedom,” with a series of fist emojis.

@SanJoseSharks (Twitter)

The tweet was deleted within hours of posting.

The graphic was created in 2020 by Mohamed Fofana, an account manager for the Sharks, with proceeds from t-shirts bearing the design benefitting the African American Community Service Agency in San Jose.

In a statement issued by Fofana to the NHL website, the artist described what the piece means to him.

“I am so grateful for the opportunity and the platform from the San Jose Sharks to create something from the heart to symbolize Juneteenth! I never imagined me sharing my art and talking about racial injustice with my team would lead to this. I sincerely thank everyone involved and I’ll leave you with this: lead with pure intentions, lead with purpose and never dim your light because you’re afraid it may be too bright for others to see.

“The Shark biting through the chains represents the San Jose Sharks taking a stand against systemic racism and it also symbolizes the importance that professional sports organizations play in taking a stand and recognizing that change starts within,” the statement concluded.

@SanJoseSharks (Twitter)

Fofana’s intent aside, the team tweeted the same image at this time last year to relatively little criticism. Perhaps we just collectively had our hands full in 2020 because the post drew far more attention this time around.

Check out some of the reactions here.

PLEASE tell me this wasn’t a real tweet pic.twitter.com/UZrclClYtu

— David Schiele WBIR (@Deacon_Schiele) June 16, 2021

San Jose Sharks with the wildest Juneteenth graphic I've ever seen

My goodness

— Jason Maples (@JJMaples55_MST) June 16, 2021

San Jose Sharks Juneteenth tweet. They tried. Of course you gotta come correct on here, or the paint you will be ousted from. It wasn’t horrible a just could’ve left out the shark loll

— FOST (@GeorgeFoster72) June 16, 2021

Ah, yes. Who could forget in the history books when sharks broke the shackles of slaves! pic.twitter.com/A7A26gfdTo

— Brandon Pope TV (@BpopeTV) June 16, 2021

That’s an unbelievably WILD tweet but the San Jose Sharks

— Send it in a voice note (@CharlieStRico) June 16, 2021

If any of my friends are looking for work as a social media coordinator, my guess is the San Jose Sharks will have an opening in the next day or two. pic.twitter.com/aFu7cQ2qnN

— Tyler Ivens (@TylerIvens) June 16, 2021

And the tone deafness begins …..

— 𝕯𝖚𝖐𝖊 🇺🇸 (@DukeAlexanderr) June 17, 2021

The San Jose Sharks communications department declined to comment on the tweet.

Read original story NHL Team Deletes ‘Tone-Deaf’ Juneteenth Tweet With Shark Mascot Breaking Slave’s Chains At TheWrap