Robert Kraft, once the NFL’s good guy, is just another billionaire silencing Macklemore | Howard Bryant
The Patriots owner’s decision to ban the rapper from performing at the team’s stadium brings back memories of the blackballing of Colin Kaepernick Six years ago, in the middle of a “racial reckoning” that never was, a White House that had begun out of control reached its chaotic apex. Federal officials were sweeping citizens off American streets in unmarked vehicles , surrounding the Lincoln…
Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots, has taken a controversial step by banning rapper Macklemore from performing at the team's stadium. This move echoes the NFL's treatment of Colin Kaepernick six years ago, during a period of supposed racial reckoning. In the midst of protests against police brutality, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged that the league had been wrong for not heeding players' demands to protest.
However, the NFL's actions went far beyond mere disapproval; they included a coordinated effort to undermine the protests, with broadcast partners refusing to air the national anthem and the threat of fines for players who showed dissent. This treatment of Kaepernick was seen as an un-American act, and now, with Kraft's decision, the NFL appears to be silencing another voice.
Howard Bryant, an author and sports journalist, has written extensively on the subject, including his latest book, Full Dissidence: Notes from an Uneven Playing Field.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian US's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
