Gladys Knight is once again defending her decision to perform the national anthem at this year’s Super Bowl.
During her appearance on Friday’s Today, Knight also responded to recent comments from Colin Kaepernick’s attorney, Mark Geragos, who said performers at the Super Bowl are “crossing an intellectual picket line.”
“They’re saying to themselves, ‘I care more about my career than whether what I’m doing is right,'” Geragos added.
Kaepernick began silently protesting police brutality in 2016 by kneeling during the national anthem while playing in the NFL. Since then, no team will pick up the quarterback, who had a successful career, and Kaepernick has decided to sue the league for colluding to keep him off of the football field.
Knight, however, said she doesn’t see it that way.
The singer told Today that when she was initially asked to perform, she struggled with the decision, but ultimately decided to use the opportunity to spread love.
“[Knight] added that by singing the national anthem she could use this as an opportunity to bring people together,” anchor Craig Melvin said Friday. “At on point, she seemed on the verge of getting emotional talking about how much she loved America.”
Others are set to perform as well. Travis Scott and Big Boi will join Maroon 5 for the halftime show.
