Singer performing US national anthem takes a knee before Brooklyn Nets NBA game
A singer performing the US national anthem before an NBA game has taken part in a protest to highlight racial inequality by dropping to one knee.
Justine Skye was singing the Star Spangled Banner before a Brooklyn Nets home game and decided to take a knee during the performance and received a mixed reaction from the crowd.
The singer took to Instagram and said she felt compelled to join the anthem protests which has swept through the NFL to bring attention to racial injustice in the United States.
Skye admitted nerves kicked in while protesting and believes she may never be invited to back to the arena.
"Got a bit shaky at the end" she said on the social media site.
"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."
Skye, a Brooklyn native, said she felt she had to use the platform afforded her to demonstrate.
"We will not be silenced," she posted on Instagram with the hashtag "blacklivesmatter".
US president Donald Trump has expressed his disappointment with NFL players who failed to stand for the national anthem branding it as disrespectful to the country’s military.
