Jay-Z continues to push for diversity in the NFL.
On Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, the NFL and Jay-Z’s RocNation announced that Jesse Collins will serve as the executive producer of the Super Bowl’s halftime show, according to Deadline.
With Collins serving as executive producer for the 2021 Super Bowl, he will be the first Black person to hold that position in NFL history.
Collins made a name for himself with his work with BET as executive producer of signature programs such as the BET Awards, the BET Hip-Hop Awards, and the Soul Train Awards. He was also nominated for an Emmy for his work as a producer during the 2020 Grammy Awards and produced the CBS special “John Lewis: Celebrating A Hero.”
“Jesse Collins is innovative, creative and one of the only executive producers that speak fluent ‘artist vision.’ He‘s a true artist,” Jay-Z said in a statement. “Jesse’s insight and understanding create both extraordinary shows and true cultural moments. After working with Jesse for so many years, I look forward to all there is to come.”
But while Collins has made history, the NFL continues to suffer in terms of diversity. At press time, there are only three Blacks are head coaches in the NFL — Mike Tomlin, Brian Flores and Anthony Lynn — and two Black general managers — Andrew Berry and Chris Grier. There has yet to be a Black owner in the league, where 70 percent of the players are Black, according to ESPN.
