Performing artist Sevyn Streeter was scheduled to sing the national anthem Wednesday night before the Sixers' season opener but says she was replaced because of the jersey she was wearing.
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Jemila Worthy, a member of the Sixers' dance team, sang the anthem instead.
Streeter says change was made because she was wearing a jersey with the words "We Matter" displayed on the front.
"I'm at the 76ers game to sing the national anthem," she said in a video on Twitter, "and the organization is telling me that I can't because I'm wearing a 'We Matter' jersey."
<iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" data-tweet-id="791432200608702464" title="Twitter Tweet" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: static; visibility: visible; display: block; width: 500px; height: 662.3125px; padding: 0px; border-style: none; max-width: 100%; min-width: 220px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"></iframe>The Sixers responded with the following 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."
In the Sixers' preseason finale against the Heat in Miami, Denasia Lawrence performed the anthem while wearing a "Black Lives Matter" shirt and kneeling on one knee (see story). She said she did it to protest racial oppression.
Streeter is the latest to use the national anthem as a stage to protest racism and social injustice. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began the well-documented movement by refusing to stand during the anthem, and various other professional athletes have made their own statements.
In a protest planned by safety Malcolm Jenkins, a handful of Eagles raised their fists during the anthem before the team's Week 2 game against the Bears on Monday Night Football.
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Jemila Worthy, a member of the Sixers' dance team, sang the anthem instead.
Streeter says change was made because she was wearing a jersey with the words "We Matter" displayed on the front.
"I'm at the 76ers game to sing the national anthem," she said in a video on Twitter, "and the organization is telling me that I can't because I'm wearing a 'We Matter' jersey."
<iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" data-tweet-id="791432200608702464" title="Twitter Tweet" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: static; visibility: visible; display: block; width: 500px; height: 662.3125px; padding: 0px; border-style: none; max-width: 100%; min-width: 220px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"></iframe>The Sixers responded with the following 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."
In the Sixers' preseason finale against the Heat in Miami, Denasia Lawrence performed the anthem while wearing a "Black Lives Matter" shirt and kneeling on one knee (see story). She said she did it to protest racial oppression.
Streeter is the latest to use the national anthem as a stage to protest racism and social injustice. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began the well-documented movement by refusing to stand during the anthem, and various other professional athletes have made their own statements.
In a protest planned by safety Malcolm Jenkins, a handful of Eagles raised their fists during the anthem before the team's Week 2 game against the Bears on Monday Night Football.
