Earlier in the week, Brooklyn-bred songstress Justine Skye was invited to perform the “Star Spangled Banner” at the Brooklyn Nets’ season opener in Barclays Center. And in the midst of controversy surrounding the act of kneeling during the national anthem as a form of protest, the “Lost Me” singer didn’t hesitate to make her position known as she took a knee while singing out the song’s final line, and according to CBS News, was met with a mixed reaction of cheers and boos in the arena.
“Got a bit shaky at the end…was pretty uneasy about singing the anthem and probably won’t ever be invited to sing it again but I had to take a knee for the opening game in my city and let my voice be heard,” Skype penned in a caption on Instagram. “We will not be silenced. #blacklivesmatter”
Skye’s actions come behind the debate surrounding the same move from players within the NFL who are following the lead of former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick who began kneeling during the national anthem last season as a means of standing against police brutality against African-Americans.
The situation came to a peak in the past couple of months following a frenzy in which President Donald Trump called for the firing of NFL athletes who kneel during the anthem, referring to said players as “sons of b-tches.”
Recently, Kaepernick officially filed a grievance against owners in the NFl, accusing them of collusion as he has not been able to land with any of the 32 teams in the league after opting out of his contract with San Francisco last season.
As for the NBA, players have still abided by the league’s ruling that all players must stand during the anthem as outlined in a memo sent out ahead of the preseason, reminding all players and personnel of the obligation.