Super Bowl LIV: Blackest Viral Moments

NFL: FEB 02 Super Bowl LIV - Chiefs v 49ers

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The Kansas City Chiefs took home their first Super Bowl title in 50 years Sunday night defeating the San Francisco 49ers, 31-20. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the team to their Super Bowl LIV win, but the 3+ hour-long broadcast consisted of more than competitive plays, tackles, touchdowns and the celebratory dances that accompanied them. There were a number of moments that had Black Twitter tweeting and channeling their inner creativity to produce hilarious memes and GIFs.

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Yolanda Adams kicked things off at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium performing a chilling rendition of “America the Beautiful.”

Jay-Z, who has a social justice partnership with the NFL and received much criticism over it, made a political statement during the singing of the National Anthem. The mogul, who previously said “I think we’ve moved past kneeling” after announcing his partnership with the organization, was spotted sitting down during Demi Lovato’s performance of the National Anthem, alongside wife Beyoncé. The 50-year-old recently said during an interview with The New York Times that he is using his platform with the NFL to raise awareness about police brutality.

There were also the “NFL 100” commercials, one of which featured football prodigy Maxwell “Bunchie” Young. The 12-year-old Los Angeles-native has gained popularity because of his talent and lightening speed. In the commercial, Young can be seen running the ball while being cheered on by former and current NFL stars.

Rappers T-Pain and Megan Thee Stallion, also actor Jaleel White, Mel B of the Spice Girls and a host of others appeared in Sabra’s first hummus commercial.

The moment many had been waiting for took place after the second quarter of the game concluded, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s halftime show. Both artists went through their catalog of hits, but when Shakira performed “Hips Don’t Lie,” Black Twitter was looking for Wyclef Jean, who was featured on the record, but he was nowhere to be found – except for on the background track that played during the performance.

The same went for J.Lo when she performed “Ain’t It Funny.” “Where’s Ja Rule?” is a question that was asked on Twitter, but it went unanswered.

President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg both unveiled their 60-second campaign ads. Trump’s ad featured Alice Johnson, who was released from prison in 2018 after serving 20 years in prison for a first-time non-violent drug offense, and painted him to be a champion for Black women prisoners. Bloomberg’s ad focused on combating gun violence. The former New York City mayor featured a Black mother named Calandrian Simpson Kemp, whose son George Kemp Jr., was shot and killed during an altercation in 2013.

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Later in the evening, former NFL wide receiver Anquan Boldin shared the story of his cousin Corey Jones’ killing in a 60-second commercial. In the ad, Boldin recounts being told by his wife that his cousin was killed by a police officer in plain clothes during his time as a San Francisco 49er in 2015. He also touched on co-founding the Players Coalition, which focuses on criminal justice reform, social and racial equality.

There was also the major Black moment that the Super Bowl missed – the tribute to Kobe Bryant. According to a report from CBS Sports, there was supposed to be a tribute to the late NBA legend during the Super Bowl halftime show, but it didn’t happen. “We’ll all be remembering Kobe on Sunday and celebrating life and diversity in this country,” Shakira said at a Super Bowl press conference. “I’m sure he’d be very proud to see the message we are trying to convey on stage that day.” J.Lo added that the tribute was going to be “heartfelt.”