Former ESPN personality Jemele Hill accused New England Patriots Owner Robert Kraft of using “white privilege” and trafficking in the “cultural capital of black entertainers,” while criticizing the longtime owner’s role in brokering a social justice compact between the NFL and rap mogul Jay-Z.
Hill, who currently writes for the Atlantic, captioned a tweet from Colin Kaepernick’s girlfriend Nessa Diab. In which, Diab expressed dismay over a Pro Football Talk story which revealed that Kraft had begun brokering the deal between Jay-Z and the NFL in early 2018. A time period where Kaepernick, the league’s original anthem protester, was unemployed and in the throes of a collusion grievance against the NFL.
Hill wrote that Kraft’s conduct was an example of “white privilege,” because Kraft is a Trump donor who maintains his relationship with the “racist” president, despite using the “cultural capital of black entertainers” such as Jay-Z.
Interestingly, however, Hill directed none of her ire at Jay-Z. Despite the fact that it’s now clear the billionaire rapper was negotiating a lucrative business deal with the NFL while they were “blackballing” Colin Kaepernick. Moreover, Jay-Z did this while claiming to support Kaepernick and his cause.
The Roc Nation founder also tried to convince other rappers to decline the NFL ‘s invite to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show specifically because Kaepernick remained unemployed. All the while, Jay-Z was busy behind the scenes cultivating a deal with the league that will earn him tens of millions of dollars.
What’s the color of that kind of privilege?
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn