The Philadelphia Flyers will no longer play Kate Smith’s rendition of “God Bless America” and have removed her statue from its location outside their arena.
The Sunday announcement came after allegations of racism were brought against the singer due to her 1930s recordings.
“The Flyers have enjoyed a long and popular relationship with ‘God Bless America,’ as performed by the late Kate Smith, a woman who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor for her patriotic contributions to our nation,” their statement read. “But in recent days, we learned that several of the songs Kate Smith performed in the 1930s include lyrics and sentiments that are incompatible with the values of our organization, and evoke painful and unacceptable themes.”
Smith, who died in 1986, has been accused of racism in the past week because of songs she recorded prior to her famous singing of “God Bless America,” specifically “That’s Why Darkies Were Born.”
“The NHL principle ‘Hockey is for Everyone’ is at the heart of everything the Flyers stand for,” Flyers President Paul Holmgren said in a statement. “As a result, we cannot stand idle while material from another era gets in the way of who we are today.”
The Kate Smith statue has been removed from outside the Wells Fargo Center. pic.twitter.com/iQvMY1OsA0
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) April 21, 2019
