gladys knight national anthem at super bowlliii

Gladys knight national anthem at super bowlliii free#

It's the kind of statement that could easily be propped up to divide the generations - civil rights against hip-hop.

Gladys knight national anthem at super bowlliii free#

3 to give the anthem back its voice, to stand for that historic choice of words, the way it unites us when we hear it and to free it from the same prejudices and struggles I have fought long and hard for all my life, from walking back hallways, from marching with our social leaders, from using my voice for good - I have been in the forefront of this battle longer than most of those voicing their opinions to win the right to sing our country's anthem on a stage as large as the Super Bowl LIII.' Knight continued: 'I am here today and on Sunday, Feb.

In a statement to Variety, Knight said it's 'unfortunate that our national anthem has been dragged into this debate when the distinctive senses of the national anthem and fighting for justice should each stand alone.' The NFL's latest play came on Thursday, with the announcement that Gladys Knight will perform the national anthem to open this year's Super Bowl. The former San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback filed a grievance against NFL owners in 2017 for colluding to ban him over his protests of police brutality and racial inequality during national anthems. Once revered as the biggest audience draw in pop, the halftime slot has become a political hot potato - or football, if you will - due to the fallout surrounding the NFL's alleged blacklisting of Colin Kaepernick. In two weeks, Super Bowl LIII will kick off in Atlanta, the black mecca and current hip-hop capital, but the league has had to scramble to find black artists willing to perform at the halftime show. 'From walking back hallways, from marching with our social leaders, from using my voice for good - I have been in the forefront of this battle longer than most of those voicing their opinions to win the right to sing our country’s anthem on a stage as large as the Super Bowl LIII.Gladys Knight will 'give the anthem back its voice,' she said in a statement explaining her decision to sing the national anthem at Super Bowl LIII in spite of boycotts by other black artists.įorget being on the wrong side of history, the NFL is on the wrong side of the culture.

3 to give the anthem back its voice, to stand for that historic choice of words, the way it unites us when we hear it and to free it from the same prejudices and struggles I have fought long and hard for all my life,' she continued. 'It is unfortunate that our national anthem has been dragged into this debate when the distinctive senses of the national anthem and fighting for justice should each stand alone.' Kaepernick is protesting two things and they are police violence and injustice,' Knight said, through her rep, in a statement to ET. The defense came after criticism against both Knight and the game's halftime performers - Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Big Boi - for working with the NFL after tension surrounding the league's stance on Colin Kaepernick and others who take a knee during the national anthem as a form of peaceful protest against police brutality.

Atlanta, I’m coming home! #NFL #SBLIII /8rH0O5OAAo- Gladys Knight January 17, 2019įollowing the news of her involvement, Knight defended her decision to perform at the Super Bowl.