Real Weddings: Keelin and Darren tie the knot overlooking Dingle Bay
Real Weddings: Keelin and Darren tie the knot overlooking Dingle Bay

Shayna Sappington

Let me tell you why a mother is the perfect employee
Let me tell you why a mother is the perfect employee

Dominique McMullan

I broke up with my boyfriend and now I have bangs
I broke up with my boyfriend and now I have bangs

Edaein OConnell

WIN a family pass to Emerald Park this Easter
WIN a family pass to Emerald Park this Easter

Shayna Sappington

This peaceful Victorian-era Galway home is on the market for €1.65 million
This peaceful Victorian-era Galway home is on the market for €1.65 million

Sarah Finnan

How to recreate 90s skinny brows without plucking out your eyebrows
How to recreate 90s skinny brows without plucking out your eyebrows

Holly O'Neill

A definitive guide to the very best Irish-made Easter eggs
A definitive guide to the very best Irish-made Easter eggs

Sarah Gill

Supper Club: Peanut soba noodle salad
Supper Club: Peanut soba noodle salad

Meg Walker

18 interiors finds under €50 to refresh your home this spring
18 interiors finds under €50 to refresh your home this spring

Megan Burns

This Co Meath self-build blends with its rural surroundings, and has a clean and modern interior
This Co Meath self-build blends with its rural surroundings, and has a clean and modern...

Megan Burns

Image / Editorial

Many celebrities boycotted the Superbowl to stand with Colin Kaepernick


By Erin Lindsay
04th Feb 2019
Many celebrities boycotted the Superbowl to stand with Colin Kaepernick

The Superbowl took place in Atlanta, Georgia last night, where the New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams 13-3; winning a record-breaking sixth Superbowl. But while the game is often seen as one of the biggest events of the year in the US, 2019’s edition was shadowed by bigger controversies.

A number of high-profile celebrities have publicly boycotted the Superbowl this year, in protest against the National Football League’s (NFL) treatment of football player Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick became a public figure in 2016, when he used his position as the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers to protest racial inequality and police brutality, and famously chose to kneel instead of stand for the national anthem at NFL games. Kaepernick was dropped from his team and has remained unsigned to any NFL team since 2016.

#ImWithKap

The hashtag #ImWithKap began trending last night, as many celebrities voiced their anger at the treatment Kaepernick has received for the past three years. Prolific black celebrities including director Ava DuVernay, rapper Common and basketball player LeBron James all took to social media to support Kaepernick; also showing their intent to not watch or participate in the Superbowl celebrations.

The half-time show

The half-time show, which is famously almost as big an attraction as the football itself, saw Maroon 5, Big Boi and Travis Scott take to the stage. But the trio of acts were not the first choice for the show; singers Rihanna and Pink were reportedly approached to headline, but declined as an act of support for Colin Kaepernick.

Rapper Cardi B was also asked to perform, but she publicly declined the invitation as a protest against the NFL. Speaking to the Associated Press, Cardi said:

“I got to sacrifice a lot of money to perform. But there’s a man who sacrificed his job for us, so we got to stand behind him.”

 

Featured image: kaepernick7.com via Instagram


Related: Cardi B announced as the final headline act for Longitude 2019

Related: Rihanna appointed as an official ambassador for Barbados