{"id":6190,"date":"2025-12-03T08:54:18","date_gmt":"2025-12-03T08:54:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/2025\/02\/18\/write-of-passage-scholars-hoteps-and-the-caucasity-of-kendrick-lamars-super-bowl-halftime-performance\/"},"modified":"2025-12-03T08:54:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T08:54:18","slug":"write-of-passage-scholars-hoteps-and-the-caucasity-of-kendrick-lamars-super-bowl-halftime-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/write-of-passage-scholars-hoteps-and-the-caucasity-of-kendrick-lamars-super-bowl-halftime-performance\/","title":{"rendered":"Write of Passage: Scholars, Hoteps, and the Caucasity of Kendrick Lamar\u2018s Super Bowl Halftime Performance"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-6190-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/157363764\/050fa27864f49734dbc504c293bcd3b2.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/157363764\/050fa27864f49734dbc504c293bcd3b2.mp3\">https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/157363764\/050fa27864f49734dbc504c293bcd3b2.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p>Kendrick Lamar\u2019s Super Bowl LIX halftime performance during the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles has set the internet\u2014and much of the world\u2014abuzz. <em>Nineteen Minutes<\/em> by Jodi Picoult is the most banned book in America for challenging the way people see the world. I\u2019m sure those same folks will be coming for Kendrick\u2019s thirteen minutes for challenging the way the world operates.<\/p><div id=\"vanes-1029753782\" class=\"vanes-content vanes-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 2px;margin-right: 2px;margin-bottom: 2px;margin-left: 2px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/fireswordandsea.htm\" aria-label=\"Fire Sword &amp; Sea\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?fit=1706%2C2560&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Fire Sword &amp; Sea\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?w=1706&ssl=1 1706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1 683w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=1365%2C2048&ssl=1 1365w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?w=1280&ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" width=\"569\" height=\"853\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Less than a week later, scholars, pontificators and fools offered hot takes, deep dives, and debates about every minute of the performance. Those versed in Black scholarship loved it. Others criticized it. And, there were plenty of opinions and outright lies circulating. But here\u2019s what\u2019s undeniable: <strong>133.5 million people<\/strong> watched the halftime show at <strong>Caesars Superdome<\/strong>, making it the most-watched in Super Bowl history. According to Roc Nation, Apple Music and the NFL, this number beats those who watched the Fox broadcast of the game which averaged 126 Million viewers. That 7.5 million more tuning into halftime than game time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Context is King: History of the Halftime Show<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s talk about origins. The <strong>Super Bowl<\/strong>, the annual championship game of the <strong>NFL<\/strong>, has been played since <strong>1967<\/strong>, with college marching bands providing halftime entertainment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Grambling State University, a HBCU had its marching band<\/strong> perform at <strong>Super Bowl II (1968)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In 1972, the first halftime show featuring a Black performer, non-marching band member, was <strong>Ella Fitzgerald<\/strong> at <strong>Super Bowl VI<\/strong> in Miami where she sang <em>Mack the Knife<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Super Bowl IX (1975)<\/strong> in New Orleans paid tribute to Duke Ellington with <strong>Grambling State\u2019s Marching Band<\/strong> and the <strong>Mercer Ellington Orchestra<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>When was the next Black moment? We have to skip a bunch of years to get to 1991, <strong>Super Bowl XXV where<\/strong> the incomparable <strong>Whitney Houston<\/strong> delivered a stirring rendition of <em>The Star-Spangled Banner<\/em>, but she wasn\u2019t the halftime headliner\u2014<strong>New Kids on the Block<\/strong> were. In 1993, <strong>Michael Jackson, the 1st Black performer to headline the halftime show dazzles the crowds <\/strong>at <strong>Super Bowl XXVII (27)<\/strong> and sets the standard for pop stars and the future of football\u2019s biggest event. The King of Pop owned the stage and every moment of his performance. If <strong>100,000 people<\/strong> had actually turned off their TVs like they claimed they did, Michael Jackson would still hold the record, with an audience of <strong>133.4 million<\/strong> viewers.<\/p>\n<p>Other notable performances featuring Black artists across the lengthy history of <strong>halftime shows<\/strong> include:<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl XXII (22nd, 1988)<\/strong> \u2013 Chubby Checker<strong> appears with the Rockettes and 88 grand piano players<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl XXIX (29th, 1995)<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>Patti LaBelle &#038; Teddy Pendergrass<\/strong> were featured along with Tony Bennett.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl XXX (30th, 1996)<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>Diana Ross<\/strong> dazzled in a red gown and even changed outfits mid-show.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl XXXI (31st, 1997)<\/strong> \u2013 A blend of <strong>James Brown appearing with ZZ Top and The Blues Brothers Band<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl XXXII (32nd, 1998)<\/strong> \u2013 A Motown tribute featured <strong>The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves &#038; The Vandellas, Queen Latifah, and Boyz II Men<\/strong>. Watching those young men of Boyz II Men sing about their mothers hits differently now, especially juxtaposed with Lamar\u2019s solitary silhouette atop the GNX in New Orleans and his dancers, young men gathered under a street lamp.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl XXXIII (33rd, 1999)<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>Stevie Wonder joins Gloria Estefan and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl XXXIV (34th, 2000)<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>Toni Braxton<\/strong> is featured.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl XXXV (35th, 2001)<\/strong> \u2013 Featured <strong>Mary J. Blige and Nelly<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl XXXVIII (38th, 2004)<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>Janet Jackson\u2019s<\/strong> infamous &#8220;wardrobe malfunction\u201d occurred.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl XLI (41st, 2007)<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>Prince<\/strong> performed in the rain, delivering one of the most iconic halftime shows in history.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl XLV (45th, 2011)<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>Usher and the Prairie View A&#038;M University Marching Storm<\/strong> supported <strong>The Black Eyed Peas<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl XLVI (46th, 2012)<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>Madonna<\/strong> headlined with <strong>Nicki Minaj and CeeLo Green<\/strong> at Lucas Oil Stadium.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl XLVII (47th, 2013)<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>Beyonc\u00e9<\/strong> tore down the Superdome in New Orleans, reuniting with <strong>Destiny\u2019s Child<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl 50 (2016)<\/strong> \u2013 Beyonc\u00e9 returned, performing a <strong>Black Panther-inspired set<\/strong> supporting headliner <strong>Coldplay<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl LIII (53rd, 2019)<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>Big Boi and Travis Scott<\/strong> performed in Atlanta.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl LV (55th, 2021)<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>The Weeknd<\/strong> headlined in Tampa.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl LVI (56th, 2022)<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent<\/strong> rocked SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl LVII (57th, 2023)<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>Rihanna<\/strong>, pregnant and powerful, delivered her first live show in over five years.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl LVIII (58th, 2024)<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>Usher<\/strong> commanded the stage in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Super Bowl LIX (59th, 2025)<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>So, let\u2019s be clear: <strong>Black performers at the Super Bowl are not new. Hip-hop and rap at the Super Bowl are not new. <\/strong>For those suddenly enraged\u2014why weren\u2019t you bothered during the <strong>39 other years<\/strong> when Black artists weren\u2019t featured or headlined? The selection process has always been based on merit\u2014the most talented for the job, period. Right?<\/p>\n<p>And with <strong>DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion)<\/strong> now the new taboo, let me ask: Why do some get upset when things <em>aren\u2019t<\/em> diverse\u2014when people who look like them <em>aren\u2019t<\/em> centered or given an extra slot or quota on stage? Do you want equity and inclusion or not?<\/p>\n<p>Kendrick Lamar is <strong>highly qualified<\/strong>. He won the <strong>2018 Pulitzer Prize in Music<\/strong> for his album <em>DAMN.<\/em> He\u2019s a <strong>27-time Grammy winner<\/strong>, and one cannot deny that his <strong>2024 diss track, <\/strong><strong><em>Not Like Us<\/em><\/strong><strong>,<\/strong> has the world on fire. Please, show me someone with <strong>better<\/strong> credentials who\u2019s willing to perform a <strong>13-minute Super Bowl halftime show\u2014for free.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s Dive into the Performance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lights flash. I see nine squares and glowing X\u2019s and O\u2019s. I wonder\u2014are we about to get <strong>Tic-Tac-Toe<\/strong> or something else? In the background, a power bar, formed of stadium lights or drones, begins to load. I know we\u2019re about to witness something special.<\/p>\n<p>More lights flash. The bar is almost at <strong>100%<\/strong>, and I sit on the edge of my seat, expecting a high level of storytelling artistry from Lamar. According to <em>Britannica<\/em>, art is a <strong>visual object or experience consciously created through an expression of skill or imagination<\/strong>\u2014and right now, skill and imagination are exactly what we need.<\/p>\n<p>In a flash, a <strong>&#8220;Start Here&#8221;<\/strong> sign and arrow appear, pointing to the lone figure on the hood of a <strong>Buick GNX<\/strong>. Kendrick Lamar, a young Black man, crouches on the car. The image evokes <strong>loneliness<\/strong>\u2014it\u2019s dramatic, and I\u2019m locked in as the <strong>gleaming black Buick GNX (Grand National Experimental)<\/strong> transforms into a <strong>clown car<\/strong>, packed with dancers spilling out. So many exit the vehicle that I later learn the seating had to be removed to fit them all into that <strong>tight, cramped<\/strong> space\u2014<strong>not unlike bodies crammed into the hulls of ships<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>On Instagram, Lamar writes about <strong>authenticity<\/strong>: <em>&#8220;In the moment of confusion, the best thing you can do is find a GNX. Make you realize the only thing that matters in life is that original paperwork. That TL2 code. 1 of 547.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>What does <em>original paperwork<\/em> mean when you\u2019re the descendant of chattel slavery? Is it the <strong>slave ship\u2019s manifest<\/strong> that documented the theft of ancestors? The <strong>bill of sale<\/strong> from <em>massas<\/em> in the States or <em>Grand Blancs in the Caribbean<\/em>, depending on where your roots were auctioned off? Or is it the <strong>manumission papers<\/strong>, declaring your freedom\u2014bought at a price?<\/p>\n<p>This leads me down another rabbit hole: <strong>authenticity\u2014who is American and who is not?<\/strong> In a country that often forgets to be kind to the foreigner (Leviticus 19:33-34), or that it was founded by immigrants\u2014many seeking religious freedom, a fresh economic start, or escape from oppression\u2014this question cuts deep. It\u2019s a <strong>scar<\/strong> that never fully heals.<\/p>\n<p>Did you know that, in the past\u2014like I wrote about in <em>Island Queen<\/em>\u2014people with any <strong>tint to their skin<\/strong> have had to carry <strong>manumission papers<\/strong> or proof of their free status to avoid being accosted? Many around the nation feel this burden now. We\u2019re still caught in this cycle because we\u2019ve banned the books that teach history and empathy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Back to Football\u2014America\u2019s Game<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I highly recommend reading <em>Moving the Chains: The Civil Rights Protest That Saved the Saints and Transformed New Orleans<\/em> by <strong>Erin Grayson Sapp<\/strong>, which examines the <strong>1965 AFL All-Star Game boycott<\/strong>, where players protested against racial discrimination in New Orleans.<\/p>\n<p>Another must-read is <em>Race and Football in America: The Life and Legacy of George Taliaferro<\/em> by <strong>Dawn Knight<\/strong>, chronicling the journey of <strong>George Taliaferro<\/strong>, the first African American drafted by an NFL team, and the challenges he faced.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Red, White, &#038; Blues of Uncle Sam<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The visuals cut to Uncle Sam\u2014portrayed by Academy Honorary Award winner Samuel L. Jackson. With a film career grossing over $27 billion worldwide, making him the highest-grossing actor of all time, Jackson embodies this iconic American figure. Some might be wondering, <em>What in the DEI is going on<\/em> with this Black version of a fictional Americana, but it soon becomes clear: Uncle Sam is here to keep Lamar in line.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Jackson plays Uncle Sam as Uncle Tom. <em>Uncle Tom\u2019s Cabin<\/em>, Harriet Beecher Stowe\u2019s 1852 abolitionist novel, portrayed White men as morally bankrupt and Black individuals as either complicit in oppression or suffering under it. The book also depicted White women as the moral conscience of a system they benefited from, yet remained angelic through their Christian preaching. The novel ends with the enslaved Tom dying because he refuses to betray two Black women who have escaped. As he dies, he forgives his abusers.<\/p>\n<p>The novel\u2019s humane portrayal of enslaved people and its righteous female characters were said to have contributed to the start of the Civil War. Enraged Southerners banned the book. In the 1940s, Langston Hughes attempted to revive interest in it, but Richard Wright and James Baldwin criticized it, arguing that it promoted the image of an &#8220;Uncle Tom&#8221;\u2014a Black person subservient to Whites or complicit in oppression.<\/p>\n<p>In Lamar\u2019s performance, Uncle Sam enforces the \u201cparty line\u201d of American success. At times, he antagonizes Lamar, telling him, <em>\u201cYou\u2019re too loud, too reckless, too ghetto.\u201d<\/em> He dictates that since Lamar refuse to comply with the rules of the American game, he must be penalized: <em>\u201cDeduct one life.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The death count is brutal\u2014and so is American history, even without including the countless lives lost under enslavement:<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Fort Pillow Massacre (1864):<\/strong> Confederate soldiers slaughtered surrendering African American Federal troops stationed at Fort Pillow, Tennessee. Between 277 and 295 Union troops were killed.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Memphis Massacre (1866):<\/strong> A White mob murdered 46 African Americans, most of whom were Union veterans.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>New Orleans Massacre (1866):<\/strong> A White mob killed 35 Black citizens and wounded 100 for peacefully gathering in support of a political meeting.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Colfax Massacre (1873):<\/strong> A White militia massacred approximately 150 African American militia members who were attempting to surrender in Colfax, Louisiana.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Wilmington Massacre (1898):<\/strong> A premeditated attack left 60 Black Americans dead as White supremacists sought to eliminate African American participation in government and permanently disenfranchise Black citizens.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Atlanta Race Riot (1906):<\/strong> White mobs killed at least 12 African Americans and burned over 1,000 homes and businesses in Black neighborhoods.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Springfield Race Riot (1908):<\/strong> The Illinois state militia was called to quell the chaos as a White mob shot innocent people, burned homes, looted stores, and mutilated and lynched Black residents.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Chicago Race Riot (1919):<\/strong> The \u201cRed Summer\u201d began when a Black youth was stoned to death for swimming in an area reserved for Whites. Over 13 days of lawlessness, 23 African Americans were killed, 537 were injured, and 1,000 Black families were left homeless.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Ocoee Massacre (1920):<\/strong> A massacre of Black residents in Ocoee, Florida, left approximately 30 dead.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Tulsa Race Massacre (1921):<\/strong> Tulsa\u2019s prosperous Black neighborhood of Greenwood, known as <em>Black Wall Street<\/em>, was destroyed\u20141,400 homes and businesses burned, nearly 10,000 people left homeless. Vanessa Miller\u2019s <em>The Filling Station<\/em> is a poignant portrayal of the massacre and the resilient rebuilding that followed.<\/p>\n<p>The sacrifice of Black lives makes Lamar\u2019s imagery of tangled bodies forming the flag raw. It hit me in the pit of my stomach. I live knowing that the sacrifices and body counts will continue to rise, forming trending hashtags: #BreonnaTaylor #AhmaudArbery #TamirRice #TrayvonMartin #GeorgeFloyd<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Movement of Dancers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The visuals of Black dancers dressed in red, white, and blue moving around what is now clearly the game receiver mirror how many of us are on the X button\u2014saying yes to conforming, to getting along, to advancing, to avoiding having our dreams burned up by a jealous or misinformed mob. When the dancers near the circle stage\u2014the reject button\u2014they enter a staircase that leads to a slope, which brings them back to where they started. Is that a metaphor suggesting we are better off right where we began before chasing conformance?<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Most Misunderstood Part: Serena Williams<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>Serena Williams, who once dated Drake, danced the Crip Walk on stage. Distraught commentators ground their teeth, calling it disrespectful for a forty-year-old mother to be dancing on the figurative grave of her ex.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>caucasity<\/strong> of this is the belief that this exhibition was about a man or a former relationship. Serena Williams is not just some \u201cbaby mother.\u201d She was ranked No. 1 in the world in women&#8217;s singles by the Women&#8217;s Tennis Association (WTA) for 319 weeks\u2014the third-most of all time. Williams has won 73 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including 23 major women&#8217;s singles titles. She is the only player to accomplish a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles.<\/p>\n<p>The Crip Walk is a celebration, notably adopted by her folks from her city of Compton, and it symbolizes the alliance of California street gangs, the Crips\u2014 as in Crips vs. Bloods. No, Serena is not part of a gang. But like the dance\u2019s founder, Henry Crip\u2014a Harlem dance legend who lost an arm and a leg in a car accident\u2014she celebrates moving forward and achieving. Williams first did the Crip Walk in 2012 at Wimbledon, eliciting massive backlash for celebrating a huge win\u2014for the girl from Compton.<\/p>\n<p>Seeing her dance freely, hair flowing, I think of the <strong>Tignon Laws<\/strong> of New Orleans, which I mentioned in my podcast <em>Consent in the Time When a Black Woman Can Say No<\/em>, and the long history of policing Black women\u2019s bodies. In Serena, I saw joy and celebration. If I am to think of Drake at all\u2014a man who has used Serena\u2019s name in diss songs\u2014I see freedom from a toxic relationship. That\u2019s cathartic.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ok, Now the Hotep Or Too Deep to be Real Take<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lamar does say he is a stargazer, so maybe the 16 stars on Uncle Sam\u2019s jacket resemble the Little Dipper. if I squint, I can see it. But the talk online about the design representing the 16 free states\u2014states that prohibited slavery between 1850 and 1858\u2014seems like a stretch. These arbitrary dates are supposedly tied to U.S. naval activities interrupting the slave trade.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not buying this. The U.S. Navy&#8217;s role against stopping transport began in 1820 when warships deployed off West Africa tried to catch American slave ships, but enforcement was sporadic until the Navy deployed a permanent African Squadron in 1842. Last time I checked, 1850 and 1842 are different years. A rounding error won\u2019t make them the same.<\/p>\n<p>By 1858, there were <strong>32 states<\/strong> in the Union, including Minnesota, which was admitted on May 11, <strong>1858<\/strong>. California was the <strong>31st state<\/strong>, admitted on September 9, 1850. If I count the list of free states\u2014states that prohibited slavery\u2014I get <strong>17<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p>1. Pennsylvania \u2013 December 12, 1787<\/p>\n<p>2. New Jersey \u2013 December 18, 1787<\/p>\n<p>3. Connecticut \u2013 January 9, 1788<\/p>\n<p>4. Massachusetts \u2013 February 6, 1788<\/p>\n<p>5. New Hampshire \u2013 June 21, 1788<\/p>\n<p>6. New York \u2013 July 26, 1788<\/p>\n<p>7. Rhode Island \u2013 May 29, 1790<\/p>\n<p>8. Vermont \u2013 March 4, 1791<\/p>\n<p>9. Ohio \u2013 March 1, 1803<\/p>\n<p>10. Indiana \u2013 December 11, 1816<\/p>\n<p>11. Illinois \u2013 December 3, 1818<\/p>\n<p>12. Maine \u2013 March 15, 1820 <\/p>\n<p>13. Michigan \u2013 January 26, 1837<\/p>\n<p>14. Iowa \u2013 December 28, 1846<\/p>\n<p>15. Wisconsin \u2013 May 29, 1848<\/p>\n<p>16. California \u2013 September 9, 1850 <\/p>\n<p>17. Minnesota \u2013 May 11, 1858<\/p>\n<p>So the math and the facts aren\u2019t jiving. Kendrick Lamar is very precise in his lyrics. An arbitrary number or pattern doesn\u2019t seem to be his M.O. I <em>could<\/em> stretch and say he mentions losing 16 friends in his song \u201c<em>wacced out murals<\/em>,\u201d but then I\u2019m just spitballing.<\/p>\n<p>Not everything has a direct meaning, but that\u2019s the beauty of art\u2014it can mean many different things to different people. Kendrick Lamar and his performance is art and it should be applauded for making us all stop and think.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ending the American Game<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As the last notes of \u201cNot Like Us\u201d finishes, Lamar and company launch into \u201cTV Off.\u201d When he finishes the rap, he holds up a virtual remote, turns it off, and forces the stage to go dark. In lights, we see the sign: <em>Game Over.<\/em> Does he mean the American game is over because we refuse to learn from the past or that he\u2019s stop playing the game? Lights out\u2014Is that symbolic of a Revolution being televised until it\u2019s not? Is the American Game going to stop feeding on Black life, Black culture, and Black breath? What happens if every American, turns off the TV, the cellphone, social media, etc. and stops playing the game?<\/p>\n<p>America is founded with the God-given right to have differences of opinions. Of being able to choose your path, to dream the biggest dreams, and to make them happen\u2014on or off the field. Whether we play the game or not, movement, not standing still, is how we inch forward toward the goal posts. It\u2019s how we will awaken and form a more perfect union.<\/p>\n<p>You can learn more about banned books from the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=t&#038;source=web&#038;rct=j&#038;opi=89978449&#038;url=https:\/\/www.ala.org\/bbooks\/banned%23:~:text%3DUnite%2520Against%2520Book%2520Bans%2520is,to%2520read%2520for%2520all%2520Americans.&#038;ved=2ahUKEwjapajRkMyLAxUdRjABHdsqAlUQ-tANegQIRhAC&#038;usg=AOvVaw1NrvaYTrmEC53WbMj6s6Na\">American Library Association (ALA),<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pen.org\/book-bans\/\">PEN America<\/a>, and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"applewebdata:\/\/F75EC9D8-C2EB-449D-8C1E-CDDC418F2474\/You%20can%20learn%20more%20about%20banned%20books%20from%20the%20American%20Library%20Association%20(ALA),%20PEN%20America,%20and%20Authors%20Against%20Book%20Bans.\">Authors Against Book Bans<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Show notes<\/strong> include a list of books I\u2019ve mentioned in the broadcast. This week, I\u2019m spotlighting <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.braveandkindbooks.com\"><strong>Brave and Kind Books<\/strong><\/a> through Bookshop.org.<\/p>\n<p>Miller, Vanessa, (2025) <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/p\/books\/the-filling-station-vanessa-miller\/21627670?ean=9781400344123&#038;next=t&#038;next=t\">The Filling Station<\/a>. HarperCollins.<\/p>\n<p>Picoult, Jodi. (2007). <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/p\/books\/nineteen-minutes-jodi-picoult\/10922320?ean=9780743496735&#038;next=t&#038;next=t\"><em>Nineteen Minutes<\/em><\/a>. Atria Books.<\/p>\n<p>Riley, Vanessa. (2021). <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/p\/books\/island-queen-vanessa-riley\/15393680?ean=9780063002869&#038;digital=t\"><em>Island Queen<\/em><\/a>. William Morrow.<\/p>\n<p>Hughes, Langston. (2000). <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/p\/books\/simple-s-uncle-sam-with-a-new-introduction-by-akiba-sullivan-harper-langston-hughes\/17187918?ean=9780809086818&#038;next=t&#038;next=t\">Simple&#8217;s Uncle Sam<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Lamar, Kendrick. (2017). <em>DAMN<\/em> [Album]. Top Dawg Entertainment.<\/p>\n<p>Lamar, Kendrick. (2024). <em>GNX<\/em> [Album]. Top Dawg Entertainment.<\/p>\n<p>Sapp, E. G. (2019). <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/p\/books\/moving-the-chains-the-civil-rights-protest-that-saved-the-saints-and-transformed-new-orleans-erin-grayson-sapp\/18479912?ean=9780807179086&#038;digital=t\"><em>Moving the Chains: The civil rights protest that saved the Saints and transformed New Orleans<\/em><\/a>. Louisiana State University Press.<\/p>\n<p>Smith, A. W., &#038; Hailey, W. (2020). <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/p\/books\/race-and-football-in-america-the-life-and-legacy-of-george-taliaferro-dawn-knight\/20132850?ean=9781684350674&#038;digital=t\"><em>Race and Football in America: The life and legacy of George Taliaferro.<\/em><\/a> Indiana University Press.<\/p>\n<p>Stowe, Harriet Beecher. (1852) <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/p\/books\/uncle-tom-s-cabin-harriet-beecher-stowe\/17794625?ean=9780553212181&#038;next=t&#038;next=t\">Uncle Tom&#8217;s Cabin<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Images are screenshots of ROC Nation and Apple Music feeds.<\/p>\n<p>This is a public episode. If you&#8217;d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/vanessariley.substack.com\/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#038;utm_campaign=CTA_2\">vanessariley.substack.com\/subscribe<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"rop\"><small>Originally posted 2025-02-18 14:10:00. <\/small><\/p><div id=\"vanes-551045219\" class=\"vanes-after-content vanes-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 3px;margin-right: 3px;margin-bottom: 3px;margin-left: 3px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?fit=1080%2C1350&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Listen to the Write of Passage Weekly Podcast\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?w=1080&ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?resize=240%2C300&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?resize=819%2C1024&ssl=1 819w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?resize=768%2C960&ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" width=\"540\" height=\"675\"   \/><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kendrick Lamar\u2019s Super Bowl LIX halftime performance during the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles has set the internet\u2014and much of the world\u2014abuzz. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult is the most banned book in America for challenging the way people see the world. I\u2019m sure those same folks will be coming [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6220,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,793,9,620,756,694],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-personal-stories","category-politics","category-recommended-reading","category-syndication","category-technology","category-tv-and-film"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/d1af8879a1b26137071f20d20ac51895.jpg?fit=1080%2C1350&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6190"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6190\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}