Actor Rob Riley Schools Jerry Rice on Impact of the Barbados Slave Code on Black Oppression

Dear Jerry Rice…PART 1 #knowourhistory #BlackLivesMatter

A video posted by Robert Christopher Riley (@robrileynyc) on

On Sept. 2, television and film actor Rob Riley took to Instagram to educate legendary NFL receiver Jerry Rice about the Barbados slave code.

However, all of this was inspired by an Aug. 29 tweet from the former NFL player condemning San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protest.

The tweet read:

“All lives matter. So much going on in this world today. Can we all just get along! Colin, I respect your stance but don’t disrespect the Flag.”

Subsequently, Riley released a series of videos diving into the code and its influence on American slavery.

In the first post, the actor says that Rice “needs to pick up a book” to understand race relations in this country.

“… You have put down footballs and I think it is time for you to pick up a book,” he starts. “When you read the [Barbados Slave Code] … understand that the slavery we know in America started in the Caribbean— in Barbados … And understand that the laws that govern our country was based on that… And systematically there is a problem in this country. ”

In addition, Riley adds clips of a BBC documentary that explains the code and its history.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ3uyTQhzE3/?taken-by=robrileynyc

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ3u3rWhFFa/?taken-by=robrileynyc

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ3vHlUBvQc/?taken-by=robrileynyc

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ3vNGKh91A/?taken-by=robrileynyc

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ3vR1jhajL/?taken-by=robrileynyc

Subscribe To The ABS Newsletter — Get our stories in your inbox.

Independent journalism still matters.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Latest from Atlanta Black Star

Back to top