Bad Bunny book event at the Clemente Museum is a home-run combination

The selection of Bad Bunny for the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show struck a major chord in the United States. Conservatives decried showcasing a Spanish-speaking Puerto Rican at one of the country’s most televised musical performances, with one Republican congressman even going so far as to call for an FCC investigation . Their detractors, however, were quick to point out Bad Bunny’s global superstar status and that Puerto Rico is, technically, part of the U.S., despite the Caribbean island’s residents’ inability to enjoy the same rights as those on the mainland. The reactions and counter-reactions conjure Pittsburgh’s own connection to Puerto Rico through the late legendary Pittsburgh Pirates player Roberto Clemente. The reverence for Clemente’s contributions on and off the field obscures the discrimination and challenges he faced when playing in Pittsburgh and throughout the country. Now, two authors will address the parallels between Bad Bunny (born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) and Clemente during a special event. Co-authors Vanessa Díaz and Petra R. Rivera-Rideau will present their book, P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance , on Sat., July 11 during a talk at The Clemente Museum . A Duke University Press synopsis describes the book as “offering a portrait of the past and future of Puerto Rican resistance through one of its loudest and proudest voices.” Presenting at the museum seems more than apt, given the subject matter. Rivera-Rideau, an associate professor and chair of American Studies at Wellesley College, points out that “both men dominated their respective fields — Clemente in baseball and Bad Bunny in music.” “I think more than that, though, both are incredibly beloved figures in Puerto Rico and the diaspora,” she tells Pittsburgh City Paper , adding that Puerto Rico even had a mandatory Clemente license plate in 2021. A mural of Roberto Clemente by Jeremy Raymer painted on t