Episode #16
Chrisette Michele Post, Kaepernick Dropping Dimes, Still Supporting The NFL
Chrisette Michele, Jay-Z, Kaepernick & the NFL: Where Do We Draw the Line? Chrisette Michele was heavily criticized after performing at a Donald Trump inauguration event in 2017. The backlash followed her for years, including professional consequences. But today, are we looking at her differently? In this episode of Forward Social Conversations, we take a deeper look at Chrisette Michele, Colin Kaepernick, Jay-Z and the NFL—and ask a bigger question about how we apply our principles. Colin Kaepernick has been speaking publicly again about his experience with the NFL, his protest, and what happened after he took a stand. At the same time, Black audiences continue to watch NFL games, support teams, buy merchandise and, for some, gamble on NFL games. Then there’s Jay-Z. Jay-Z and Roc Nation entered a partnership with the NFL in 2019 that included helping with major NFL entertainment and the league’s Inspire Change social-justice initiative. So the question becomes: Why was Chrisette Michele treated one way for performing for Trump, while Jay-Z could enter a business relationship with the NFL after Kaepernick’s conflict with the league—and still maintain massive support? Is this about hypocrisy? Is it about forgiveness? Is it about business? Is it about the difference between working within a system and directly supporting a political figure? Or have we simply changed the standards we use to judge people? And if we’re willing to give some people grace, should that same grace extend to Chrisette Michele? This conversation isn’t just about Chrisette, Jay-Z or Kaepernick. It’s about Black culture, accountability, forgiveness, capitalism, corporate America, the NFL, and whether we’re applying the same standards across the board. This is Forward Social Conversations. Let’s talk about it.