‘Midnight Train to Georgia’ legend Gladys Knight saw her name ride right into a storm of controversy earlier today when it was announced she would be performing the national anthem at this year’s Super Bowl LIII.
Taking place February 3 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, Knight – a native Atlantan – excitedly took to Twitter to not only share the news, but also state:
“I am proud to use my voice to unite and represent our country in my hometown of Atlanta,” the 74-year-old said.
“The NFL recently announced their new social justice platform Inspire Change, and I am honored to be a part of its inaugural year.”
The excitement quickly turned sour as fans of the 74-year-old diva extended her the same criticism afforded to rappers Travis Scott and Big Boi for taking part in the big game given the NFL’s lengthy history with reports of negative treatment of people of color.
More inside:
Taking to the singer’s Instagram, commenters said:
Their disapproval didn’t stop there. Some took to Twitter:
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Lord but hell nah social media is bunch of idiots. Gladys is a legend although I don’t agree respectfully
I mean it’s a selective angry group. Some performers can and some will be criticized in general…??♂️
People need to stop trying to police other people Colin made his choice and now he is suffering the consequences. He forgot he worked for the NFL and not for himself. If you want to do what you want to do then open your own business. If you work for somebody else you have to do things their way. YEAH for Gladys performing. I love her.
On whose contract does it say that NFL players have to stand for the national anthem?? And here I was thinking he was employed to play football. Most people would call that wrongful termination. In his case, he’s being blackballed. You say people need to stop trying to police other people, but that’s LITERALLY what the NFL was doing to him when they tried to make him do something that wasn’t a part of his job description. They’re employees. Not slaves. If you work for someone else, you still have rights. The solution to mistreatment in the workplace is not “open your own business”. ?? Also, all of these celebrities and fans are not protesting simply because they’re upset Colin is “suffering consequences”. It’s a lot bigger than him at this point if you haven’t noticed.
You got it all backwards. Part of his job was to represent his team AND the NFL. When you refuse to stand for the anthem you are going against both the Team and The NFL and you are acting independently! That is why his free agency is not being picked up. He is not entitled to being picked up by a team. Colin is free to kneel as much as he wants to now.
Now Gladys is an independent BOSS. She is free to do as she pleases so if she wants to do the superbowl gig people should NOT be policing her.
But that’s the problem. When did his team and the NFL become one with the national anthem and when did representing his team mean standing for the national anthem? Why aren’t those 2 things separate? It’s not like the NFL ever formally specified that as a requirement, guideline, or rule to be followed. It only became a problem after he explained why he was doing it as protest and it got national attention. Standing for the national anthem isn’t even a constitutional guideline. He’s not being picked up not because people actually care that he was kneeling, the reason why he was protesting is the problem. They won’t admit that though. But anyways, if your whole premise is that people should not be policing other people, why should people stop dragging Gladys? They’re not stopping her from doing the anything. She can do what she wants. But just as she’s free to do it, people are free to criticize her. The “free to do as I please” concept goes both ways.
I can’t when using your logic NO ONE is ‘policed.’ Colin is FREE to play football and Gladys is FREE to sing. I totally get it and thank you for helping see a different way of looking at it. The only part I still disagree with you on is the ‘wrongful termination’ phrase you use for Colin. He was NOT fired! He is an unsigned free agent. Using your logic, team owners should not be policed into hiring Colin.
If I were a team owner I would want to hire Colin because he is a great player and will bring in great ticket sales (people love a comeback and would pay big money to see his comeback). However, from a business perspective I would not hire Colin because I have to go with the decisions of my investors as well and many look at Colin as bad press. The whole situation is horrible and in many ways Colin blackballed himself just like the NFL blackballed him. He essentially made himself unhireable for NFL teams for a few years until this press dissolves with time. In NFL, there is the hidden rule that players are to be unified as a team so kneeling shows non-uniformity unless the enter team kneels. Furthermore, refusing to stand for the national anthem shows disrespect for the flag and members of the armed forces.
TROLLmine I AGREE !! You tell’em girl (boy)??♀️??♀️
I meaaannn…. yeah. It’s not like the issue we’re talking about is abortion or something where everybody’s opinion varies with their religious/moral beliefs. Honestly, everybody should be in solidarity with a protest against police brutality. And crossing that protest just to get some camera time is beyond wack. Even for Gladys Knight (I know the halftime performers don’t get paid but I don’t know about the anthem singer). Not a good look.
No one is for police brutality, but is disrespecting the country and all it stands for the way to protest brutality? What is the solution — a national police state? This issue is too complicated and multi-faceted to be reduced to some sort of loyalty test of whether or not one supports Colin Kaepernick (the new MLK, I guess).
Americans can be shockingly ignorant. Kaepernick has good intentions, but his showboating is misguided. When I saw him criticizing the USA while wearing a Castro/Cuba t-shirt, I realized he wasn’t to be taken too seriously.
I agree. You can support Colin, be against police brutality, and still make history by singing at the super bowl just like Gladys is doing. No one can dictate when or where you can perform.
In what way is not standing during the national anthem disrespecting the country?
And lol, Look at what you said. “Is disrespecting the country and all that stands for the way to protest brutality?”. That is literally the point. What ALL does this country stand for??? That’s the question. You do know that everything that this country “stands for” is not right for everybody, right?? In fact, it’s never been. Don’t assume that everything this country stands for is honorable.
How can you live in a country that was founded on racist principles, with racist traditions that were created by racist people (one being national anthem writer, Francis Scott Key), that’s rooted in anti-blackness and has a nasty history of targeted violence and genocidal aggression against black people, still has racism permeating through its institutions to… this… day… and not believe that some of what this country STANDS FOR, is racist. You can’t seriously believe that “freedom and justice for all” is the total sum of what this country stands for. And that’s just what this country did to black people… don’t get me started on Native Americans.
So YES, disrespecting what this country stands for is necessary in order to change it.
That’s the whole point.
The black community has NO COMMON SENSE. They harassing Innocent people but NOT HARRASING THE PLAYERS?????? STFU and do your homework. i hate twitter and IG for giving Black Trash a VOICE. STFU — if your not gonna stalk the players who are black playing WHILE STALK THE TALENT?????? STUPID.
I said the same thing. Also the black NFL reporters that profit off of watching and reporting the games. They are doing their JOBS and so is she. If you are going to boycott, don’t pick on the singers just because Rihanna, Jay-Z etc. turned down the offer. That was THEIR choice.
Exactly I agree. Let Gladys get her coins ?
Black Twitter is so annoying
Yes, it is.
How your going to “cancel” someone who 1.) was a pioneer for fighting for you rights and 2.) you ain’t bought a record of hers in your life to support her in the first place? What exactly are you canceling?
Are you***
Canceled! Gladys it’s time to say goodbye ??
Can’t even watch kelly Rowland episode of American soul #canceled
Nobody cares. Gladys has done more for black folks and equal rights than any of the idiots on ghetto black twitter
why does our protest make you mad these is black people issues worry about your Asian icons and legends… oh I’m sorry you have none. Stay in your lane!!!
Gay black queens don’t watch food ball so I’m not sure what your little ebt protest is going to do. Y’all are better at congregating for things that matter more like ratchet twerk things and worldstar videos
But we ghetto and on ebt… shut yo flat face ass up you wanna be black that’s why you here. Like I said worry about Asian s***… black ppl never come on y’all post or dance to y’all music stop looking for us. Go fry some dog b****. Go f*** your house pets. Im done with you Jackie chan.
I said what I said Shaniqua
And y’all stay with the Asian tacky in y’all heads and lashes on your eyes and nails and eating Asian food. Can the world say the same? Pickled p** feet’s? Naps and beat’e’bee’s? Absolutely NOT Shaniqua
If y’all would get tf out our neighborhoods we wouldnt have those problems… get tf outta Africa stealing s***… you actn like Asians doing mfs a favor. Y’all try to destroy black people just as much as the whites and Arabs get real b**** I know what’s up h**. I’m not one of these n***** out here lost and can’t read. Y’all wanna be us admit it y’all want us gone so y’all can walk around twerking wearing dark makeup and fros… bih the truth will set you free h**. Every other race is a just a son we are God.. and Satan will soon be destroyed!!
Girl please black folks don’t even wear fros- they wear Asian Yacky #7…. you sound delusional, Shaniqua.
I guess you’re Lee Lee that works washing black queens feet in hood… you only see the ignorance of my people… yes it does take a lot to manage black hair .. so we do use y’all fur to make life easy but we’ve always have worn animal fur throughout history you all serve a warming purpose; something like a buffalo.
Just remember y’all the one using your rent money to support our businesses and put our hair on your heads(a billion dollar industry), not the other way around. You don’t see none of your love n hip hop girls on Instagram selling Kenyan or Nigerian bundles honey- it’s all Malaysian silky??♀️??♀️??♀️Okurrrrrr
You mean your fur put youre fur on our heads. Anyways, I’m done arguing with you. For you to be asian, you can’t spell for s***. Sounds like I’m arguing with one of my miseducated sisters that you wanna be so much like. This was a waste of time I’ll holla!
You over the top WOKE blacks get on my nerves. Y’all was mad when they chose maroon 5 for halftime..saying out of all the artist out of ATlanta which where the super bowl is held why pick them… then got mad at Travis Scott joined them.. now u mad at Gladys.. it’s like you just mad at everything.. I’m mad at the way they handled the Colin situation but I’m not going to be mad at someone else for standing up for us in another way….
Gladys is a Mormom. A racist religion. Anyone that joins something like that is questionable. Todays R&B/Hip hop acts are the biggest sellouts in history of African-descended music. She would never do this in the Jim Crow era. Does she need for this racist society to have a name for her to take it serious?
Folk so whack not ALL black ppl are boycotting the NFL. Like, let her live!!! Kaepernick will probably never play for the NFL again and while I do support him not everybody will. Im all for unity but geesh let the girls make their own decisions… Black people aint canceling Gladys or Travis so Chill TF out
It’s one thing to demand a young rich man like Travis Scott to step down, it’s not fair to hold Ms Knight to the same standards. Would you tell your gramma she’s ‘cancelled’ too for tryna secure a bag? Do you think being a legend necessarily equals a check every month? I don’t think anyone is above criticism but whoa
I would sing at the Superbowl if I was asked and I would host the Oscars if I was Kevin.
Nobody should make you feel bad about doing your craft. Somehow, I will entertain you and yes, I will work again.
Life is short. Live on your own terms!!! My lemons will make lemonade, not sit there and get sour!
I agree with the protest, but if we’re completely honest, why aren’t we also protesting black athletes who continue to play in the NFL? We can justify it by saying they have bills to pay and mouths to feed, but so do Gladys and Travis.
Gladys and Travis aren’t getting paid though. The Super Bowl doesn’t pay performers. They do it for free. So they really don’t have that excuse. And In theory I would agree with you, but playing football is the player’s primary job and their main source of income. Even if singers were getting paid to do the super bowl, they get paid from a million other projects where Gladys or Travis could’ve easily passed it up if they wanted to. They are not doing it because they have bills to pay and mouths to feed. They’re not getting no money which means they’re doing it purely for the look, which to them is worth disregarding the protest, and that’s why they’re being criticized.
These are the same people who look up to and support P*** Kelly. Get the f*** outta here
Lol what a bunch of dummies. But they will support them football player that’s playing. White folks probably laughing at all the so called canceling we’re doing to each other. Smh
Gladys Can do whatever she wants, she has proven on many occasions she has always been for the black community. If we mad at her we should be mad at the players who are still playing for NFL. Side note there is some real trash in these comment sections.
Exactly. Gladys was born and raised in the deep south during Jim Crow, and was still able to build a successful, legendary career. I’m sure she’s more WOKE than all of those Twitter Hotep Trolls.
Gladys is old enough to be yall great-grandmother. Leave her alone.
The reason why we have a Super Bowl is for the two best teams to play each other and find out who comes out on top. ” The Best of the Best “. But that isn’t true for the talent going to perform. The fans that paid good money to see the game and the talent is being short changed. Gladys Knight has no right to be on the stage. For that reason i’m going to boycott the game and not watch it. The talent needs to be a recording artist from 2018.