The Impact of Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Show from a high schooler’s eyes

By Amir Muhammad | March 11, 2025

This past February was one of the best Black History Months I have experienced and can remember. 

As a community, Black people came together to host financial protests called blackouts, where no money is spent at either particular businesses or a business sector to show the power of the community's dollar.

There has also been protests against Target, Walmart and other corporate giants for cutting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs in response to a changing presidential administration.

One of the best public displays of creativity was the Super Bowl Halftime Show hosted by Kendrick Lamar, where he made an homage to the movie Django Unchained by bringing out Samuel L. Jackson to play the role of ‘Uncle Sam’. 

Although, to some extent, this show was definitely a diss to Drake, it was much more than that. Pointing out the struggles of our people, the system that has kept us down for centuries, and even throwing shots at the state of our government were only some of the topics tackled in the performance. 

I think our people have displayed such strength in the face of adversity and we are finally having moments as a collective where we can say that we are proud to be ourselves. Even though Black History Month is over, we should still continue to support each other in the best ways possible, whether that be an economic Black out or supporting a business of ours that needs more love.

I spoke with three three juniors at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute highschoolers after the show to get their opinions: 

Amir Muhammad: What were your thoughts on the halftime show, what you liked about it, and what you think the message was?

Jordan Manley: I thought the halftime show was amazing. Kendrick Lamar has been on a crazy run over the past year, and seeing him be as big as the Super Bowl is a massive win for hip-hop and music as a whole. Kendrick challenged the idea of the American Game with Samuel L. Jackson, and his performance of songs like Euphoria, TV Off, and Not Like Us was super fun to watch. While production-wise, I don't think it was the best, the messages and storytelling behind Kendrick's show was amazing to watch. 

Fentzy Philippe-Auguste: Well, I definitely liked it. I don't think it was the most outstanding performance by Kendrick or by Superbowl standards, but it was definitely good. The choreography was great and the message he sent is what I think puts it up there with the greats.

anonymous: l appreciated the halftime show because it highlighted the current divisions in America, especially in the wake of Trump’s presidency. It also shed light on the societal expectations placed on Black Americans to conform. Kendrick Lamar’s performance served as a powerful reminder that this country was built on the labor and contributions of Black people.