Sevyn Streeter was all set to sing the national anthem at the Philadelphia 76ers game last night, but was kept from doing so when the NBA organization realized that she was wearing a jersey that said “We Matter”. The news broke when Streeter took to her Instagram to share the mind boggling news with her fans. A member from the 76ers dance team replaced Streeter for the national anthem.
Street described the incident to the Associated Press;
“I’d say two minutes before we were about to walk out … the organization told me that I could not wear my shirt while singing the national anthem at their game,” she said. “I was never given any kind of dress code. I was never asked beforehand to show my wardrobe.”
Streeter said that she wanted to express the importance of the ongoing issues that black people face within the United States of America.
Although the 76ers gave a statement, they never stated why Streeter’s performance was cancelled.
“The Philadelphia 76ers organization encourages meaningful actions to drive social change. We use our games to bring people together, to build trust and to strengthen our communities. As we move from symbolic gestures to action, we will continue to leverage our platform to positively impact our community,” the Sixers said in a statement. – APnews.com
Silently protesting at sporting events has become an issue since San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to kneel while the national anthem was being played at his games. Since then, many have decided to take a knee or wear symbolic clothing in protest of police brutality and other American injustices.
As for Streeter, she had this to say;
“Yes, we live in the greatest country in the world but there are issues that we cannot ignore. This can’t be ignored.”