NEW YORK: Singer Justine Skye dropped to a knee toward the end of her rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner prior to the Brooklyn Nets home opener against the Orlando Magic on Friday.
Some NFL players have sat or taken a knee during renditions of the song the past two seasons to protest racial inequality in the United States but NBA players have stood in accordance with league rules.
The protests have raised the ire of US President Donald Trump, who says the players are being disrespectful to the country and the military.
In an online post, the 22-year-old Brooklyn native said she was uneasy about singing the song, to begin with, and said she probably would not be asked to do so again.
“I had to take a knee for the opening game in my city and let my voice be heard,” Skye wrote in an Instagram post along with a video of the performance.
“We will not be silenced,” she said, adding an emoji of a clenched fist and the hashtag #blacklivesmatter.