Sevyn Says She Was Denied Anthem Performance by 76ers over 'We Matter' Jersey
Sevyn Streeter was scheduled to sing the national anthem before Wednesday's season opener between the Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder, but the 30-year-old said her clothing choice caused the Sixers to reverse course.
In a post on Twitter, Streeter said the team did not let her sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" because she was wearing a "We Matter" jersey:
"I was never given any kind of dress code," she added, according to the Associated Press' Dan Gelston. "I was never asked beforehand to show my wardrobe."
On Friday, the 76ers apologized to Sevyn in a statement, per Rich Hofmann of PhillyVoice:
On Thursday, Jan Carabeo of CBS 3, citing a source, reported that Sevyn signed a contract that "prohibited political statements" and that the 76ers offered an "alternate shirt and song" but were refused.
"The Philadelphia 76ers organization encourages meaningful actions to drive social change," the Sixers said in a statement Wednesday, according to Pro Basketball Talk's Dan Feldman. "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."
CSN Philly shared video footage of a Sixers dancer performing the anthem in place of Streeter:
Jessica Camerato of CSN Philly reported that a team representative met with players for 40 minutes Thursday to discuss the anthem.
In advance of the regular season, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was outspoken about his hope for players and personnel around the league to create an open dialogue and take community action regarding social injustice.
"Aside from discussions around the anthem, it is my expectation that as we move beyond the collective bargaining (negotiating) process, that we and the players together will continue to address these issues and look for opportunities where we can really make a difference," Silver said on Oct. 22, according to ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk.
Silver also told B/R Mag's Howard Beck and Jonathan Abrams that players such as Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and LeBron James—who spoke out about social injustice during the ESPYs—can use their stature to make tangible changes in communities across the country after Colin Kaepernick initiated protests during the national anthem in the NFL.
"These guys put themselves in a leadership position," Silver said, per B/R Mag. "So when they see sort of symbolic gestures by athletes in other sports, and not to devalue them in any way, I think their view is: We've moved past that stage already. ... We will be judged by the substantive actions we're taking in our communities."
