September 11, 2016
Singer Chris Brown refused on Sunday to stand up for the national anthem ahead of a charity basketball game in honor of the victims of the September 11 attacks, according to TMZ.
The gossip site published a story with a video Brown remaining seated while R&B singer Tank, whose real name is Durrell Babbs, sang the national anthem. Prior to beginning his rendition, Babbs had asked the fans to put aside recent protest statements led by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
"I understand people are exercising their right to stand or to sit, and exercising their right to freedom of justice, but in the wake of 9/11, please understand and respect the fact that real men and women and children lost their lives for this very thing that we're here to stand for today."
As the video below shows, Brown and a few others remained seated or kneeling during the anthem. At the end, he rises and begins to clap.
Recent protest gestures against racial injustice in the United States have generated fierce controversy as high profile figures object to participating in practices that they claim uphold a discriminatory system.
