Last night, Justine Skye used her moment in the spotlight as the national anthem singer at the Brooklyn Nets home opener to make a statement. As the 22-year-old finished singing "The Star-Spangled Banner," she bravely took a knee on the court at Barclays Center in solidarity with the many athletes that have been protesting police brutality and racial injustice through the gesture. As expected, the crowd's response was a mixture of cheers and boos. Skye took to Instagram to reflect on the short-lived experience in a post.
"Got a bit shake at the end... was pretty uneasy about singing the anthem and probably won’t ever be invited to sing it again but I had to take a knee for the opening game in my city and let my voice be heard," she wrote. "We will not be silenced. #blacklivesmatter"
Amidst all of the controversy around taking a knee during the national anthem, the NBA is still enforcing a rule that requires all players to stand. According to ABC, Nets players locked arms during Skye's performance of the anthem. A spokeswoman for the Nets released a statement to ABC regarding Skye's decision to kneel:
"We recognize that tonight's national anthem singer kneeled briefly at the end of her performance and we were not aware that she was going to do so."
A representative for Skye was not immediately available for comment. Watch the moment in the clip, above.
Thumbnail image via @justineskye/Instagram
