A knee at the table: Jay-Z, Colin Kaepernick, and the endurance of competing strategies in Black social justice

Abstract In August 2019, the U.S. National Football League (NFL) and entertainment company Roc-Nation entered into a partnership to amplify the league’s “social justice efforts.” This partnership received mixed reactions from news media and fans with significant negative criticism. Many accused the NFL of using the celebrity reputation of Roc-Nation founder, Jay-Z, for cultural capital to recoup from the negative press received following the 2016 protest of Colin Kaepernick. This article examines the media discourse following the announcement of the partnership and how it perpetuates a long-existing ideological feud within Black social justice that questions if the path to racial progress must be achieved with the help of white institutions. I argue that the adoption of neoliberal ideologies into contemporary activism has shifted focus from the needs of the communities being served to the brand image and market profits of celebrity activists and corporations.