Singer/actress Rihanna has reportedly turned down a chance to headline the halftime show at Super Bowl LIII because she supports former 49ers quarterback Collin Kaepernick, who has a collusion lawsuit against the National Football League. US Weekly is reporting that Rihanna is turned down the halftime gig because of Kaepernick and the NFL’s overall handling of national anthem protests.
The league is currently not imposing any rules on player conduct. It did impose new rules against protesting during the anthem, but subsequent player backlash led to a decision not to enforce the new rules this season.
The English word Maroon was used to describing the runaway slave communities of Florida and of the Great Dismal Swamp on the border of Virginia and North Carolina, on colonial islands of the Caribbean, and other parts of the New World. Lyle Campbell says the Spanish word cimarrón means "wild, unruly" or "runaway slave" When runaway Blacks and Amerindians banded together and subsisted independently they were called Maroons.
Seeking to separate themselves from Whites, the Maroons gained in power and amid increasing hostilities, they raided and pillaged plantations and harassed planters until the planters began to fear a massive revolt of the enslaved Blacks. I find it strange the musical group the NFL selected to perform Superbowl 2019 is Maroon 5. Maybe the NFL is trying to send AA a subliminal message about their "Million Dollar Slaves" Author, William C. Rhoden, in his book, FORTY MILLION DOLLAR SLAVES, admonishes the black athlete for dropping the "sense of mission" that the black community entrusted with them.The black community sent its best athletes forth, to raise the Status of the athletes and at the same time, raise the status and well being of their communities. They accomplished the first of this two-part dream----they raised their own status and fame. The second part of this contract---raising the status and well being of the black community---was not to happen. They were not ready for the white-backlash that wanted. (wants, still) ...nothing more than to wean itself from dependence on black muscle." But hope is not lost for the black athlete, nor is it lost for the black community. The author sees signs of redemption for both. Until that day of redemption comes, though, black athletes will continue to enhance the very system that enslaves them. Anyway, I applaud Rihanna for standing up in the name of human rights, civil rights, and justice.
