The Philadelphia 76ers have admitted they dropped the ball and are anxious to correct their mistake.
The club refused to allow singer Sevyn Streeter to sing the National Anthem at the last minute during the home opener, objecting to her outfit. Streeter wore a shirt that said “We Matter” which was an obvious reference to Black Lives Matter movement and support for unarmed African Americans who have been shot by law enforcement.
Was suppose to sing the anthem at @sixers & @okcthunder game but mins b4 @sixers said I couldn't because I was wearing a "We Matter" jersey pic.twitter.com/wjoJN3rq0r
— Sevyn (@sevyn) October 27, 2016
Streeter voiced her disapproval of the Sixers’ actions almost immediate on social media and the club received some backlash from the public. Furthermore, some of the Sixers’ players weren’t happy about the club’s decision to take the microphone from Streeter.
The Sixers released a statement Friday which said:
“We are sorry that this happened. After receiving feedback from our players, basketball operations staff and ownership group, we believe that the wrong decision was made, and Sevyn should have been welcomed to sing. We apologize to her, and in an effort to move the conversation forward, we have reached out to offer her an opportunity to return and perform at a game of her choice. We are waiting to hear back.”
