NFL half time super bowl performer Usher vowed to make his performance focus on promoting Black culture, and yet again dividing Americans by race.
The NFL also featured the Black national anthem, titled “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” before the game and ahead of the traditional U.S. National Anthem.
Social media erupted in negative criticism against the “woke” league for involving itself in identity politics and causing further division, rather than uniting Americans.
usher and alicia keys performing ‘my boo’ at the halftime pic.twitter.com/QtfesJrKhb
— vids that go hard (@vidsthatgohard) February 12, 2024
Usher explained that JAY-Z, the Super Bowl’s live music entertainment strategist, told him to make sure the performance emphasized Black culture.
“That’s the one thing that he said. ‘You know, we’re doing this for the culture,'” Usher said. “‘I want you to play the ones that we — that we love, that we know you for. Give ’em the moments that they, you know, look forward to seeing,'” like, ‘Go for the culture.’ And I’m like, ‘All right, I got you.'”
In response to the Black national anthem, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said, “They’re desecrating America’s National Anthem by playing something called the ‘Black National Anthem.’”
usher performing ‘OMG’ on skates #superbowl
pic.twitter.com/kf93Hsg8gt— 2000s (@PopCulture2000s) February 12, 2024
Rep. Mike Loychik, a Republican lawmaker in the Ohio House of Representatives, criticized the NFL.
“There’s no such thing as a black national anthem,” he wrote on X. “We are all AMERICANS, united by our great and beautiful Star Spangled Banner. The Super Bowl is supposed to bring us together. “It’s a disgrace that the NFL decided to push the politics of racial division again.”
Black conservative pundit CJ Pearson wrote on X: “Before tonight’s Super Bowl, as a young black man and proud American, let me make myself clear: There is only ONE national anthem. As there is only ONE United States of America.”
“And it’s for EVERYONE – white, black, yellow, and even maroon. The Left’s agenda of division isn’t just needless; it’s exhausting.”
