Posted on 10/22/2016 10:47:25 AM PDT by Rennes Templar
A female singer performed the National Anthem while kneeling at midcourt before an NBA preseason game in Miami Friday night, opening her jacket to show a shirt with the phrase "Black Lives Matter."
The Miami Heat identified the singer as Denasia Lawrence. The team said of her gesture, "We were unaware of it ahead of time."
Lawrence posted video of her performance on Twitter along with a statement saying in part that "I took the opportunity to sing AND kneel; to show that we belong in this country AND that we have the right to respectfully protest injustices against us."
Heat players and coaches stood side-by-side for the anthem, all with their arms linked as has been their custom during the preseason. Many had their heads down as Lawrence sang before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The anthem issue has been a major topic in the sports world in recent months, starting with the decision by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to not stand for its playing. Kaepernick cited racial injustice and police brutality among the reasons for his protest, and athletes from many sports and many levels, from youth all the way to professional have followed his lead in various ways.
Tysse is white. Lawrence is black.
"I love and honor my country as deeply as anyone yet it is my responsibility as an American to speak up against injustice as it affects my fellow Americans," Tysse wrote on Facebook. "I have sung the anthem before but this time taking a knee felt like the most patriotic thing I could do. I cannot idly stand by as black people are unlawfully profiled, harassed and killed by our law enforcement over and over and without a drop of accountability."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Stopped watching the rich gangsta show some time ago.
Black culture is an injustice to all decent people.
Don’t Kneel; Stand Up.
What an ignorant comment!
I wonder if she will kneel for the THOUSANDS of blacks in Chicago who have been murdered by OTHER BLACKS..nah didnt think so..those people being killed by other blacks its all about street cred they didnt get killed by cops so no reason to be upset
I would have said, certain black subcultures, instead.
I think he is referring to the current predominant Black culture. And yes, it is indecent.
This shit is becoming annoying. Someone please freepmail me when the shootin’ starts . . . . . .
Keep selling dat lie, biyotch. Make yourself and your racist friends of color look even worse. Or, just vacate America posthaste. GTFO!
She won’t be called back anytime soon. She’s a grandstander and a hypocrite. Rude and inappropriate. That anthem is not about you the singer, it’s about us. She accepted the job under false pretenses.
Too bad the game wasn’t in Philly, their fans don’t take too kindly to that kind of garbage.
It’s the black culture the Government-Media complex wants to push.
I think the point of all this is to get people so upset they just stop doing the anthems before events, period.
Was she booed?
Where was bill Clinton?
If the Knee-gros are so disrespectful,
I would almost be inclined to have a bunch of people throughout the arena with blow horns to disrupt THEIR performance and demand the PROPER tribute that is expected.
I disagree Lurker. If thug-culture is your bag, too bad for you and those forced to be your associates.
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