Singer, Sevyn Streeter was scheduled to sing the National Anthem at an 76ers vs. OKC Thunder game last night.
Streeter has written songs for Chris Brown, Ariana Grande and other stars. In 2013, she had a Top 40 hit with “It Won’t Stop,” a duet with Brown.
She wore a black jersey saying ‘We Matter’ on the front, and was not allowed to sing. She then took to social media to post this video stating what happened.
“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 told the Associated Press. “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, but according to a report by CBS Philly, the contract she signed in advance of the performance prohibited political statements.
“I was angry, extremely, extremely angry, and disappointed and honestly brought to tears by all of it. It broke my heart,” she said. “Honestly, I was very excited about being able to perform the national anthem. I was really looking forward to that.”
“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.
A team representative met with 76ers players earlier today to explain what happened, and word on the street is that they were not happy with what they were told and how things went down.
