It’s been five days since Gladys Knight announced that she’d be singing the national anthem at this year’s Super Bowl, for which she received a lot of criticism.
Since then, the legendary singer defended herself and said her involvement with civil rights, plus having to endure racism as a young entertainer gives her that right.
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A lot of folks agreed with that reasoning, among them singer Tevin Campbell. Because on Tuesday, Jan. 22, a tweet surfaced from the “Can We Talk” singer, and he blasted those who criticized Knight.
“Gladys Knight literally had to walk through the back doors,” he wrote. “She lived through the colored and whites only bullsh–, she marched with the civil rights leaders. She does not owe you manure, and she gives zero f–ks about y’all cancelling. STFU please. Carry on.”
The comments came flying in after that and Campbell’s point as well as Knight’s seemed to backfire — at least among what seems to be the majority. Because a lot people said since Knight had such experience in dealing with racism and social justice, it should make her that much more empathetic to Colin Kaepernick.
Kap, of course, took a knee during for the anthem when he played in 2016, and it seems he’s been frozen out by the NFL since.
“Her life experiences and the fact that we’re still having these experiences, is exactly why she should be supporting @kaepernick7,” someone wrote of Knight. “People always trying to justify divide and conquer tactics. That’s why we always fail. Stand with your people when they’re standing for something.”
“She did all that just to be a sell out in 2019,” a second person wrote. “Point missed.”
But others asked why folks aren’t mad at the Black players who’ll be in the Super Bowl or the Black fans who’ll watch them.
There were also those who had no interest in debating the protests, Kaepernick or the NFL, they just want to see Knight sing on television.
“Gladys Knight, You go. Sing that song and be proud,” someone wrote. “You are a living legend.”
