NFL and Jay-Z's partnership failed in promising to "amplify the league's social justice efforts"
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In August 2019, in response to Colin Kaepernick's social justice movement, the NFL and Jay-Z's Roc Nation teamed on a music and social justice campaign that included him being involved in the Super Bowl halftime show. "The belief some had was that Jay-Z could bridge the gap between Kaepernick and NFL owners. It was a ridiculous belief but there was hope," says Mike Freeman of the announcement. "It was the last part of that sentence that was the most noticeable: to amplify the league's social justice efforts. The NFL and Jay-Z were definitely giving the impression that his role wasn't superficial; it was substantive. It was also, it turns out, totally false. Jay-Z will deliver what likely will be a stunning halftime show for Super Bowl 56, but that doesn't count under amplifying the league's social justice efforts. There isn't a single, tangible thing you can point to that shows Jay-Z helping with the league's social justice efforts. Is it possible he's doing something behind the scenes we don't know about? Sure. Is it likely? No way. If Jay-Z did anything of great significance, the NFL would have put the news on the side of each of its stadiums." Freeman adds: "Maybe Jay-Z is playing a long game where he's attempting to become an NFL owner. He could then, the theory goes, make real change. However, like with other things, there's no indication Jay-Z is trying to do that, either."
