For observers of racial politics in the United States, Super Bowl LV delivered a media spectacle overflowing with historic landmarks and cognitive dissonance. While the NFL finally came out in support of Black Lives Matter with an "Inspire Change" commercial and $250 million commitment to racial justice, they still kept Colin Kaepernick unemployed and the league under the firm control of white executives (30 out of 32 teams have white majority ownership). Similarly, many struggled to reconcile the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' diverse coaching staff (including women and four Black coordinators) with the paucity of Black head coaches (only 3 out of 32) across the overwhelmingly Black league (almost 70%). And, for those who tuned in less for the football than for the commercials, the contradictions continued.
The Super Bowl Was a Blowout … for White Creatives
