School in the Square News
Black History in Super Bowl Ink
The Student Reflection Series shines a light on student writers at School in the Square. Kendrick Morales's first piece for the school reflects on Bad Bunny's performance at Super Bowl LX.
By: Kendrick Morales, a 9th grader at School in the Square High
The music. The dance. The rhythm. His unmatched energy. And, of course, the flags of every nation in the Americas. Bad Bunny’s halftime show during the Super Bowl was a sight to behold. I know this because I was one of the nearly 130 million viewers who tuned in to watch this remarkable artist perform entirely in Spanish.
That this unforgettable performance took place during Black History Month made it even more powerful to me. This might sound silly. When we think of Black History Month, our thoughts naturally turn to icons like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Barack Obama, and Rosa Parks. What does a Puerto Rican rapper have to do with that, you might ask?
Well, first and foremost, Puerto Rico’s history is deeply connected to Africa, and reggaetón itself is rooted in Afro-Caribbean rhythms and traditions shaped by the African diaspora. But I would like to point out something else. While icons like Dr. King and Rosa Parks paved the way for civil rights, Bad Bunny continues that legacy by bringing our diverse cultures to the world’s biggest stages.
Is the rapper a civic agent, like the famous civil rights leaders before him? I think he is. After all, Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance wasn't just about music. It was about making Afro-Latinos and many other voices heard. The occasion held personal importance to me as someone who comes from Latino heritage. Watching these two worlds collide was empowering and almost as if I were watching a new chapter of history being written.
In our own school, we see this beautiful intersection of cultures every day. As we celebrate Black History Month, let’s remember that Black and Afro-Latino history is not just something we learn about in class or look back on; it is being written right now and shaping many aspects of our lives. And if history is still being written, then your voice, your heritage, and your actions are the ink — so go write a chapter worth reading.
