https://www.instagram.com/p/BMC7OxYAV-3/?taken-by=sevyn&hl=en
The Philadelphia 76ers aren’t looking for any of the controversy the Sacramento Kings suffered after a singer took a knee while singing the national anthem earlier this month. That’s probably why R&B singer Sevyn Streeter was stopped from performing the national anthem at Wednesday night’s Sixers game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Sevyn says she was tapped to sing the Star-Spangled Banner last night, but at the very last minute, was cancelled when the Sixers organization spotted her “We Matter” jersey.
“I’m at the 76ers game to sing the national anthem and the organization is telling me I can’t because i’m wearing a “We Matter” jersey,” Sevyn claims in an Instagram video that also shows her wearing the black and white jersey.
The singer tells ESPN that she was two minutes away from walking onto the court when she was stopped. “The organization told me that I could not wear my shirt while singing the national anthem at their game.” Sevyn also says she was “never given any kind of dress code” and wasn’t asked to “show” her wardrobe before the performance.
While the Sixers failed to comment on the reason Sevyn Streeter’s performance was cancelled, they did offer up this statement.
“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.”
Not sure how rocking a “We Matter” jersey can be seen as divisive, but okay.
Streeter was replaced with a Sixers cheerleader.
