For a few weeks, Maroon 5 ran into a bit of trouble trying to find anybody to perform alongside him at the Super Bowl halftime show in Atlanta, because most performers were taking a stand against the NFL and siding with Colin Kaepernick.
They would eventually get Travis Scott and Big Boi from Outkast to accept the gig.
Soon after, someone took to Change.org and petitioned for all the performers to make a huge statement on the platform given to them by standing in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick and take a knee during their performance.
Via Change.org:
As you know, Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Big Boi will all perform at the Super Bowl halftime show; despite celebrities like Rihanna, Jay-Z, Amy Schumer and Cardi B paving the road for a boycott; despite outraged fans on Twitter; despite our nearly 85,000 signatures asking them not to play.
It appears these artists aren’t backing out at this point. So now what? There’s one way they can still redeem their reputation with their fans. Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Big Boi: take a knee during your set. Show the hundreds of millions of people watching that you stand in solidarity with Kaepernick and all players who protest police brutality.
Use this opportunity to force the NFL to change their policy. If your wondering if we’ve had an impact, just take a look at the media coverage of this announcement. Our signatures are all over the story of the Super Bowl halftime show. It was difficult for Maroon 5 to find anyone to play with them.
Travis Scott made the NFL match a $500,000 donation to a social justice organization to make it OK for him to perform. (It’s not.) The halftime show is forever changed, thanks to the conversation we helped create. Never forget this as we move forward.
In just two days time, the petition has over 85,000 signatures.
