Not long after the announcement that Gladys Knight will sing the national anthem at Super Bowl 53, the Atlanta native faced backlash.
Although many were delighted at the choice, others criticized her involvement, stating that singing the anthem was disloyal to former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has not been hired by any team since he took a knee on the field in protest of social injustices.
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During an interview with ABC Radio Wednesday, actress/comedian Amanda Seales said that Knight shouldn't perform "The Star-Spangled Banner" at all. She also stated that Atlanta natives Chloe x Halle should not perform. Seales interviewed with the radio program to promote her upcoming HBO comedy special "I Be Knowin'."
"Gladys Knight definitely said she feels like she can give back the power, the patriotism to 'The Star-Spangled Banner,'" Seales told ABC Radio on Wednesday.
"Sis, 'The Star-Spangled Banner' was written by a racist and it has racist lyrics in it," Seales added. "So, even if you're not singing those (specific lyrics), you're singing a song that contains them. You cannot give it back a power it never should have had in the first place."
Knight has defended her decision to perform at the Super Bowl.
Seales thinks she has a solution, however. She suggests both acts perform their own rendition of the black national anthem “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing.”
“Listen, I say all that to say (that) if they each go out there and do their own rendition of ‘Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing’….Hey, listen, I stand corrected!” she said.
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