On Sunday February 2nd, the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs were set to play each other in Super Bowl LIV. Like any match, The National Anthem was played prior to kickoff. A majority of the spectators were standing with their arms across their chests, however Beyonce and Jay-Z didn’t. 

The music business tycoons faced quite some backlash from twitter fans. One viewer said he found the duo’s decision to sit during the national anthem “disgusting.” 

“Terrible role models for their daughter & for the country,” another criticized, referring to the couple’s 8-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, who also stayed in her seat, according to TMZ.

This decision by Jay- Z and Beyonce comes after he faced backlash for a similar situation with Roger Godell in August of 2019.  Jay-Z decided Roc Nation should partner with the NFL. According to Sports Illustrated, “All of the proceeds from the visual album and from the Songs of the Season tracks will go towards the NFL’s already existing Inspire Change initiative, which was launched in January. Inspire Change is a joint venture between the players and the owners that focuses on supporting three areas, chosen by the players: educational and economic development, improving police and community relations and criminal justice reform”. When news of the deal broke out, Eric Reid, a Safety for the 49ers at the time, tweeted it was “disingenuous…to address social injustice while collectively blackballing Colin.” Jay-Z’s motives were called into question not only by the African-American athletes in the NFL,but the general black community.

 The events that unfolded prior to Jay-Z’s and Beyonce’s decision to sit in his seat, left fans skeptical as to whether he supports the greater black community.