R&B singer Sevyn Streeter got the cold shoulder from the Philadelphia 76ers last week when a few minutes before she was to sing the National Anthem, she was told she was no longer going to for them. She was wearing a shirt that said, “We All Matter.” It was a black shirt with white letters that was obviously paying homage to Black Lives Matter. The 76ers wanted none of that. Streeter is a known supporter of BLM. She later told the AP, “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.”
I think the management of the team saw the reaction at another game of theirs where a singer knelt during the National Anthem and they wanted to head that off. They have seen how other teams have lost fans and viewership over this whole mess and I think they don’t want any part of it. They were low key in their statement and did not directly respond to why they pulled Streeter’s performance.
From the AP:
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers national anthem singer Sevyn Streeter said she was told by the team she could not perform because of her “We Matter” jersey.
She was scheduled to sing before the Sixers’ season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but said in an interview with The Associated Press late Wednesday she was told she would not sing just minutes before her performance.
“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,” the R&B singer said by phone. “I was never given any kind of dress code. I was never asked beforehand to show my wardrobe.”
The Sixers declined to say why Streeter’s performance was canceled.
“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,” team management said in their statement to the press. A member of the 76ers dance team was asked to sing the National Anthem instead.
Streeter was ticked and wasn’t bashful about it. “I was angry, extremely, extremely angry and disappointed and honestly brought to tears by all of it. It broke my heart,” she told the AP. “Honestly, I was very excited about being able to perform the National Anthem. I was really looking forward to that.” I’ll bet. She couldn’t wait to make a racist, cop-hating political statement and she got shut down. Boo freaking hoo.
I’ll bet she intended to kneel why she sang the National Anthem as well. She wanted publicity for her career and doesn’t care how disrespectful her actions are to America, the military and our police officers. Americans are sick of Black Lives Matter and their racist crap. The 76ers seem to understand the feelings of their fans here.
