Angela Davis, Ava DuVernay, Lena Waithe, Common, Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and more used social media to stand in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick on Super Bowl Sunday.
Former Obama cabinet secretary, Chris Lu, tweeted the sentiment right before the game started:
#ImWithKap is trending in USA. Because some things are more important than a game. pic.twitter.com/0tOsGdOM1z
Chris Lu (@ChrisLu44)
February 3, 2019
Interestingly enough, the Super Bowl’s
ratings hit a 10-year low on Sunday, as it was boring and the halftime show with the air of controversy didn’t seem to help boost interest.
ImWithKap Jerseys were sported in many of the tweets as a continued sign of support.
Cardi B said she wasn’t performing with Maroon 5, because someone “lost his job fighting for us.”
Many boycotted the NFL and all of its Super Bowl coverage and events, including Ava DuVernay, who tweeted:
I will not be a spectator, viewer or supporter of the
#SuperBowl today in protest of the @NFL‘s racist treatment of @Kaepernick7 and its ongoing disregard for the health + well-being of all its players. To watch the game is to compromise my beliefs. It’s not worth it. #ImWithKap pic.twitter.com/fNEeke0crs
Ava DuVernay (@ava)
February 3, 2019
I’m no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I’m changing the things I cannot accept” Dr. Angela Davis.
#ImWithKap https://t.co/FobilXc7J0
COMMON (@common)
February 3, 2019
LeBron and KD both showing love to
@Kaepernick7 on Super Bowl weekend pic.twitter.com/IuU7O8oOBY
Sports Illustrated (@SInow)
February 2, 2019
Kaepernick thanked all for the support:
I can’t explain how much it means to have the support of the Icon Angela Davis! She has laid the foundation for myself and many others to fight against anti-blackness, and has never wavered! We love and appreciate you! pic.twitter.com/do4AIRTHJR
Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) February 2, 2019
Commissioner of the NFL Roger Goodell dodged questions about Kaepernick’s status at a pre-game press conference. Kapernick has filed a grievance for
collusion of the owners and executives to keep him off any team.
A mural of Kaepernick was
demolished in Atlanta days before the game (A local artist replaced it with eight more in the city).
Maroon 5, who replaced all the artists who turned down the biggest performance stage in protest, did a show that weakly acknowledged the tension with a “One Love” light display by drones.
The lead singer, Adam Levine, defended the show, which featured rappers Travis Scott and Big Boi, and
thanked critics “for always pushing us to do better.” He included a list of words that he wrote down when asked to do the performance that included the word “kneel” near the bottom.
