Superbowl Halftime Show Connecting Communities

On February 13, 2022, the Super Bowl halftime show united the polarized American population through twelve minutes of head-bopping entertainment. It was a testament to the Black community and a throwback to the past that connected with the present.

The Super Bowl was in the month of February, which is Black History Month. It included artists who sang in the hip-hop and rap genre that appealed to older and newer generations. This year, they invited many black artists to perform, including Mary J Blige, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Kendrick Lamar.

Eminem was also a featured artist who is a widely known Black Lives Matter supporter. He took a knee during his performance even though the NFL had concerns on the matter. It was an allusion to Colin Kaepernick, the former quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, who kneeled in protest of racial injustice and police brutality against the Black community on September 1, 2016, inspiring him to do the same.

The whole performance connected the Black community and people who listened to them together despite race. Even though some non-POC people couldn’t connect with the performances, it made a lasting impression for many families who knew and celebrated its achievements.