Dr. Linda J.M. Holloway, an Associate Professor at Alabama State University, has teamed up with one of her favorite colleagues, Dr. April T. Berry, an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Alabama to launch a
curriculum study guide for Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 Super Bowl Halftime performance.
Both women say that Kendrick used his platform at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, LA to take the world to a brief classroom encounter. There has been a lot of buzz in the media about the true meaning of the symbolism that was embedded in his performance, and many people did not understand it, while others did.
Therefore, Drs. Holloway and Berry have taken aspects of Kendrick’s performance and provided both an educational and mental health awareness spin to explore cultural symbolism and enhance learning and growth for students both in and outside of the classroom. The curriculum they created allows the world to enjoy learning with Kendrick as the teacher.
With such diversity in thinking, this presents a strong argument for the need to deeply understand the importance of cultural competence. “If you lack cultural awareness, are unable to think critically, and are not open to expanding your knowledge base, much can be misunderstood and misinterpreted,” says Dr. Holloway. “For this reason, we have created this curriculum study guide that is free and available to all educators around the world.”
