During the first two games of preseason for the San Francisco 49ers (August 14th and August 20th 2016), Colin Kaepernick decided to take a knee during the national anthem, which is usually honored by standing. Many did not notice this until the third preseason game on August 26, 2016. Once gaining national attention, this protest created much controversy throughout the nation. Kaepernick was heavily ridiculed because he openly supported the Black Lives Matter movement. This was a momentous event because athletes, especially African American athletes, seldom use their platform to raise awareness to racial issues in the community. Although, losing a few fans, Kaepernick gained ten times more, as his jersey became the top selling jersey in the 2016-17 NFL season.
Kaepernick’s protest exposed many things: how racist the NFL is, how little the U.S. valued African American males if they are not following the norm of keeping quiet and just throwing a ball, and how much …show more content…
“The singer and media mogul commands a huge online following: On Instagram alone her BeyHive includes more than 77 million followers. And Beyoncé has increasingly used that platform and her art to address racial inequality, especially in the wake of police-involved deaths of black men that have dominated headlines in recent years” (Peterson, 2016). During the 2016 Super Bowl 50 halftime performance Beyoncé paid homage to the Black Panther Party, them, celebrating 50 years after their “formation” in 1966. The Super Bowl brings in over 100 million viewers and for Beyoncé to perform such a racially stemmed performance, given this country’s background, speaks volumes of her passion for the Black Lives Movement. As Beyoncé continues rise, her black pride becomes more evident with each performance and project; letting the entire world know that Black Lives and Black History
Kaepernick’s protest exposed many things: how racist the NFL is, how little the U.S. valued African American males if they are not following the norm of keeping quiet and just throwing a ball, and how much …show more content…
“The singer and media mogul commands a huge online following: On Instagram alone her BeyHive includes more than 77 million followers. And Beyoncé has increasingly used that platform and her art to address racial inequality, especially in the wake of police-involved deaths of black men that have dominated headlines in recent years” (Peterson, 2016). During the 2016 Super Bowl 50 halftime performance Beyoncé paid homage to the Black Panther Party, them, celebrating 50 years after their “formation” in 1966. The Super Bowl brings in over 100 million viewers and for Beyoncé to perform such a racially stemmed performance, given this country’s background, speaks volumes of her passion for the Black Lives Movement. As Beyoncé continues rise, her black pride becomes more evident with each performance and project; letting the entire world know that Black Lives and Black History