Sigh...
I haven't said anything about this because I feel like there are so many conversations and opinions floating around but honestly...it's not clicking for me. Now let me be clear, I love Jay-Z but in no way will I let that sway how I feel about this. Let's run it back though with some background:
A couple of months ago, Roc Nation announced a long-term partnership with the NFL. Under the hand of Jay-Z, Roc Nation will help the NFL select music acts for the Super Bowl Half-Time show and other major NFL events. They're also set to partner with the league’s Inspire Change Campaign, which aims to support programs and initiatives that reduce barriers to opportunity (now what groups the campaign is reducing barriers for was not clearly stated on the website...funny). It was also later announced by Roc Nation that Meek Mill, Rapsody and Meghan Trainor were named Inspire Change Advocates and while we don't really know what that fucking means...all three have already performed at free concerts associated with the campaign across the country.
Now there are two viewpoints on this news. One side is all for it, and I mean why not work with one of the most notable figures in the music industry to educate the NFL on how to work with players on social justice, activism, and protest. However, when I think of a social justice program...free concerts, t-shirts, and oh I don't know...working with a league who has fined, suspended, and repeatedly drug tested players for speaking out on police brutality and racism and politics while continuously blackballing Colin Kaepernick for protesting police brutality is super tone-deaf to me. Plenty of celebrities and NFL players like Rihanna and Eric Reid have been very critical and blunt they don't agree with Hov or Roc Nation's decision to partner with the league. Honestly, they're right to feel this way.
News flash – People don't want free concerts, or to buy products sold under the guise of social justice while the league profits from those sales...I know they couldn't have possibly expected this to go over well when it has been blatantly obvious for YEARS NOW that the harsh treatment of Colin and his fellow protesters from the NFL but the general public is not going away any time soon. Y'all thought this was it?
Now in typical Libra fashion, my mind is always going to go to the objective and I totally understand the view of some that this is a tremendous opportunity that can really help educate the NFL and other ignorant people who still don't understand the difference between protesting police brutality and being "unpatriotic" or "disrespecting the flag and our troops" (which is mindboggling at this point) BUT if that's what it is then you gotta come harder than that. Those are just the fucking facts. Jay-Z and Roc Nation owe it to their communities and other marginalized people to present something beyond this...a clear course of action to educate the people in charge of arguably the most popular sports league in the country and make them understand the consequences of their actions and what they are conveying to millions of viewers every night they continue to silence and discourage players in using their voices for change.
It's hard to look at this AND NOT FEEL SLIGHTLY DISAPPOINTED. People are not going for something just because you're a mogul and a superstar. You have a platform. Do real work with it. I really hope that Jay-Z and Roc Nation realize the significance of this partnership and know that people are watching and waiting for some REAL social justice because otherwise...
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