For decades, millions have eagerly tuned in to the Super Bowl halftime show. Here's its hidden Black history.
The Wayans family has always kept us laughing. In 1992, they ingeniously broadcast a live episode of their sketch comedy show, In Living Color, during Super Bowl XXVI.
Until then, the Super Bowl halftime performance was just a glorified bathroom break. So when In Living Color stole the show, with 11% of 79.5 million viewers changing channels, executives paid attention. The following year, Michael Jackson rocked the stadium's world.
Although there’s no bigger stage than the Super Bowl halftime show, we must remember that the revolution won't be televised. In 2025 Kendrick used that stage to tell us that no matter how much of our culture appears on the world stage, entertainment alone won't spark meaningful change. We can make meaning of the messages and let them inspire the actions we take toward liberation, including holding the institutions that uphold white supremacy accountable.
The Wayans helped define a new cultural norm. And let this story also be a reminder about power and how it operates in today's anti-Black, capitalist world. The world doesn't move without us or our creativity. The people have always had the real power. When we strategically use it in our favor, change can happen.