Kendrick Lamar's halftime performance at Super Bowl LIX, which took place on February 10, 2025, was widely criticized as a disgraceful showcase of the failures of the Civil Rights Act of 1965, highlighting what some perceive as a persistent refusal among segments of black America to integrate into broader American culture and its patriotic history. During his set, Lamar's choice of songs like "HUMBLE" seemed to underscore a rejection of mainstream American values. With lyrics such as "I'm so f***in' sick and tired of the Photoshop / Show me somethin' natural like afro on Richard Pryor," he was seen by critics as advocating for cultural separatism rather than the integration and equality that the Civil Rights Act aimed to promote.
 

Lamar's performance of "DNA" included the line, "I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA," which was interpreted by some as an assertion of racial identity over national identity, emphasizing cultural pride over a collective American history. The staging, with Samuel L. Jackson dressed as an Uncle Sam figure, introduced the act with phrases like "too loud, too reckless, too ghetto," which, to some, reinforced stereotypes rather than showcasing the progress of racial integration in America. This was seen not as a celebration of diversity but as a critique of how America views and integrates its black population into its patriotic narrative.
 

The inclusion of "Not Like Us" in Lamar's set was perhaps the most divisive, with its lyrics targeting personal conflicts within the black community, like "Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles," which some viewed as an unnecessary focus on division over unity. Critics argued that this choice of music during such a high-profile event as the Super Bowl halftime show was a missed opportunity to highlight the strides made since the Civil Rights Act or to celebrate a shared American identity. Instead, Lamar's performance was seen by some as a statement of cultural insularity, emphasizing separation rather than the integration and shared history that the Act was meant to foster.