Jay-Z, like many others, stood behind Colin Kaepernick as he knelt in protest of police brutality. They backed the former 49ers quarterback when the NFL ousted him for his actions. But then, Jay-Z and Roc Nation did a deal with this same organization, which included a social justice initiative, and many began questioning which side he was on, and if he was going to use his position to amplify the muffled voices yelling for changes to be made. Jay-Z was hit with criticism from all angles. Most recently, the mogul, who some thought might have been made to be the fall guy for pretty much all things race-related for the NFL, said that he is willing to take the hits for the sake of making White folks care about police brutality, which disproportionately affects Black and Brown people.
“As long as real people are being hurt and marginalized and losing family members, then yes, I can take a couple rounds of negative press,” Jay-Z told The New York Times.
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Jay-Z said the conversation needs to be pushed further than just Kaepernick, as there is a bigger conversation to be had. “No one is saying he hasn’t been done wrong. He was done wrong. I would understand if it was three months ago. But it was three years ago and someone needs to say, ‘What do we do now — because people are still dying?’” he said.
Jay-Z’s stance has not shifted. He has remained consistent in expressing that the movement should go beyond Kaepernick’s protest of kneeling. “I think it’s time for action,” he said after announcing his deal with the NFL.
Source: ‘Friend Or Foe’: Jay-Z Open To NFL-Deal Criticism To Promote Social Justice
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