'40 acres and a mule': The meaning of Kendrick Lamar's iconic Super Bowl line

The phrase “40 acres and a mule” has piqued fans’ interests ever since Kendrick Lamar’s record-breaking Super Bowl halftime show.

This was an intentional move by the iconic rapper, whose entire performance was layered with hidden messages about America’s history and present-day struggles. From Samuel L. Jackson embodying “Uncle Sam” to dancers wearing costumes resembling a fractured American flag, K. Dot packed his set with symbolism with many layers to peel back.

Midway through his set, Kendrick declared, “40 acres and a mule, this is bigger than the music. They tried to rig the game, but you can’t fake influence.”

The phrase is a direct reference to a long-broken promise made to formerly enslaved Black Americans after the Civil War, highlighting the lasting effects of systemic inequality.

In 1865, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman issued Special Field Order No. 15, which promised newly freed Black people “40 acres and a mule” to help them build a new life.

In 1865, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman issued Special Field Order No. 15, which would have granted freed Black families “40 acres and a mule” to start anew. But after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, President Andrew Johnson reversed the order, handing the land back to former Confederate owners.

The failure to follow through left generations of Black Americans struggling to build wealth, a legacy that persists to this day.

Historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. has called the original plan “astonishingly radical for its time” and the first real attempt at reparations for slavery. However, its failure left a devastating impact on Black communities, affecting wealth, land ownership, and generational opportunities.

By invoking this part in American history, Lamar’s message is a reminder of America’s unfinished business.