The game between the Eagles and Chiefs at Super Bowl LIX was the game everyone saw, but the game being played around the teams at the Super Bowl in New Orleans was the true masterpiece that some didn’t realize they were experiencing.
It was a game of politics and one that celebrated Black culture, which is significant due to the combative, racist, vile, and foolish political and social climate unleashed by the new administration in the White House.
The game took place in New Orleans, where over 55% of the population is Black, which is in Louisiana, a state that has a Black population of over 32%.
That’s also significant because, as we wrote in a previous story, it’s “in a state that banned CRT (Critical Race Theory) from K-12 public school education (CRT is a graduate level course never taught in public schools), fought against the addition of a second Black-majority district, and that elected a governor who, as the state’s attorney general, supported laws that unfairly targeted Black people.“
The musical performances were also helmed by Black artists.
The Super Bowl Pregame Show featured the powerful, popular and well-known Human Jukebox Marching Band from Southern University, an HBCU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
New Orleans native Jon Batiste performed the “Star Spangled Banner”, Ledisi sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, and Trombone Shorty performed “America the Beautiful”.
The NFL was also conscious of its hearing-impaired audience and got Otis Jones IV to sign “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and Matt Maxey to sign Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Show in ASL (American Sign Language).
The game itself centered around racial and political storylines.
It was the City of Brotherly Love, which has a Black population of 43%, versus Kansas City. It was the city that supported Kamala Harris vs the city and team that supported Tr**p. It was Taylor Swift and the Swifties vs. Trump.
It was a battle between two Black quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. Mahomes was looking to set history with a three-peat and become, arguably, the greatest quarterback in NFL history while Hurts was playing for revenge against the team he lost to in the Super Bowl two years ago, respect as a quarterback from those who doubted him and to become only the fourth Black starting quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl.
Super Bowl LIX also became the first Super Bowl in history that was attended by a sitting president, which immediately made it a political moment for when he walked in, he was both cheered and booed, demonstrating the political division in the country, one which he and his administration continue to both exploit and worsen.
And then there was Kendrick Lamar.
Not many knew what to expect from Lamar and the show he would put on. Rumors circulated about who his guest performers would be and gossip escalated about whether he would go at Drake with “Not Like Us”.
The beginning of his performance immediately let fans know what they were in for.
Sam Jackson came out as Uncle Sam and introduced Kendrick, who appeared on a car and set it off with a simple line.
“The revolution about to be televised. You picked the right time but the wrong guy.”
Kendrick played hit after hit, but it was the symbolism that stood out the most. Dancers dressed in red, white and blue, symbolizing America’s colors. At one point, they even formed the American flag.
He circled the stage, performing song after song, and was eventually joined by SZA.
As he belted out the tunes, momentum was building for the moment everyone anticipated, and when it arrived, it did not disappoint.
“They Not Like Us” was already a smash hit, but once it hit the stage at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, it re-energized audiences in the stadium and across the country watching it on every device.
But it wasn’t just the song, for everyone knew the words and sang along.
Instead, it was the production and symbolism that stole the show.
First, Black Uncle Sam warned Kendrick not to be “ghetto” and then, right before THE song hit, he came back out to applaud Kendrick for his non-controversial music.
“That’s what America wants. Nice, calm, you’re almost there. Don’t mess this….”
Then he was interrupted by the sounds that made the crowd roar.
“40 Acres and a Mule. It’s bigger than the music,” said Kendrick, dropping a nod to Spike Lee and referencing the promise of land to freed Black slaves after the Civil War.
And then the beat dropped.
Cameras panned in every angle, catching the flashes of red, white and blue as audiences across the country sang along to the Song of the Year.
You could feel the energy as Kendrick spit verse after verse. Then he smiled directly at the camera as he said, “Hey Drake, I heard you like them young.”
The audience explored as they joined in singing “A Minor.”
Then shockingly, Serena Williams appeared and was crip walking on the set that some said resembled a prison yard.
And to top it off, a protester ran on the field during the performance with a Palestinian/Sudan flag.
Afterward, the division reared its ugly head again on social media as conservatives and MAGA lovers, as expected, ripped the performance while others celebrated it, dissecting every sign and symbol it contained.
At the end of the game, Hurts led the Eagles to a destruction of the Chiefs and became both Super Bowl MVP and the fourth Black QB to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
But the game was more than a game, and the outcome felt the same way.
It was Black culture, defiance and protest symbolized in a game and on stage that represented the current state of America.
And if you’re mad, be mad, because it also showed that powerful voices, people and cultures, like Black America, won’t be denied or stopped.
