merri howard

Bad Bunny walked out in a #64 jersey with “OCASIO” on the back. Not Bad Bunny. Not Benito. His real name. His family name. Then he grabbed the mic and said: “My name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio. And if today I’m here at the Super Bowl, it’s because I never, never stopped believing in myself.” In Spanish. No translation. Even the jumbotron was in Spanish. And I watched the whole thing with a translator on. Because the message was that important to me. They said he was “un-American.” They said nobody would understand him. They said having him perform was “ridiculous.” And he SHOWED OUT! He brought out Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. He staged a wedding on the field. He recreated a bodega. He gave us a whole scene of family and love. He humanized an entire culture on the world’s biggest stage. All in his native language. And he didn’t flinch. His lyrics were clear messages: “They want to take the river from me, and the beach too. They want my neighborhood and for my grandma to leave.” “I should have taken more photos when I had you. Hopefully my loved ones will never move.” And that last line: “Ojalá que los míos nunca se muden.” Hopefully my loved ones will never move. That’s about families being separated. Forced to leave. Displacement. Yeah, he didn’t chase the mainstream. He made the mainstream come to him. He put his family name on his back and told 120 million people exactly who he is. And I’m here for ALL of it!👏🏽