What does '40 acres and a mule' mean from Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl performance?

Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance included a powerful reference to “40 acres and a mule,” a phrase deeply rooted in the history of post-Civil War America. During his performance, Lamar declared: “40 acres and a mule, this is bigger than the music. They tried to rig the game, but you can’t fake influence.” This reference goes beyond the music; it draws attention to a historical injustice that still impacts racial and economic disparities today.

After the Civil War, formerly enslaved Black people were promised "40 acres and a mule" as a form of reparations. This promise was part of Special Field Order No. 15, issued by Union General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1865, which aimed to redistribute Confederate land to Black people. However, after President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, his successor, Andrew Johnson, overturned the policy and returned the land to its former Confederate owners. This broken promise not only shattered hopes but also contributed to systemic racial and economic inequalities.

The legacy of this failed promise is significant, with historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. calling it “astonishingly radical for its time.” He described it as the first major attempt at reparations for formerly enslaved people. The policy’s failure left many Black communities devastated, with lasting effects on wealth, land ownership, and opportunities that continue to affect Black Americans today.

Lamar’s reference to "40 acres and a mule" is more than a lyric—it serves as a reminder of this unfulfilled promise and the continued struggle for justice. By invoking this phrase, Lamar urges us to reckon with the ongoing legacy of broken promises and inequality, sparking a much-needed conversation about reparations and racial justice in America.