Stephen A Smith defends Megyn Kelly for objecting to inclusion of 'Black national anthem' at Super Bowl

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: A complex debate around race and inclusion has emerged following journalist Megyn Kelly's criticism of the performance of 'Lift Every Voice and Sing,' often called the Black national anthem, at this year's Super Bowl.

Her tweet objecting to the song sparked intense backlash, with many on social media quickly labeling her comments as racist. Amid the furor, renowned ESPN commentator Stephen A Smith is urging restraint on accusations of racism, while still emphasizing the disconnected nature of Kelly's viewpoint from the lived experience of Black Americans, per The Hill.

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Megyn Kelly sparked backlash with by criticizing Black national anthem at Super Bowl

The controversy erupted Sunday evening, February 11, when Kelly took to social media to object to the Super Bowl’s inclusion of the song 'Lift Every Voice and Sing,' widely known as the Black national anthem, in addition to the 'Star Spangled Banner.'

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"The so-called Black National Anthem does not belong at the Super Bowl. We already have a National Anthem and it includes EVERYONE," Kelly wrote in a tweet to her millions of followers on X, formerly Twitter.

The post immediately ignited intense debate, garnering thousands of likes but also spurring viral outrage from many social media users accusing Kelly of racism.

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Stephen A Smith cautions against labeling Megyn Kelly as 'racist' without understanding

Weighing in on the swirling controversy during his ESPN radio show on Monday, February 12, Smith cautioned against quickly labeling Kelly as racist without deeper understanding. "You don’t know that about her. And when you say something like that, you dilute the potency and the importance of the argument," Smith said.

While making clear he disagreed with Kelly’s view, Smith pushed back against branding her a 'racist' over the comments.

"I don’t find her statement to be racist. I find it to be, in her eyes, patriotic. I find it to be, in her eyes, self-righteous. I find her to be a bit detached from reality being faced by Black Americans everywhere. I got that part, but I can’t go in the way that I wanted to go in about her when people are out there, from my community, just throwing out the word ‘racist.’ You don’t know that about her," he argued.

Smith did, however, criticize Kelly’s perspective as highly insensitive and disconnected from the lived experience of marginalization endured by Black Americans throughout history.

Internet reacts 

Upon news of Smith's defense of Kelly amid the Super Bowl anthem controversy, the internet was ablaze with a spectrum of opinions.

One user on X emphasized a singular national anthem, stating, "There's only ONE NATIONAL ANTHEM. Now, I believe if blacks want to have another anthem it's fine, just not national."

Another user expressed concern, saying, "Nationalist anthem, black nationalism, shouldn't be encouraged." A third participant delved into the complexities of race relations, querying, "Would you call a black person a racist for bashing the white national anthem? Or vice versa?"

Meanwhile, a perplexed commentator pondered, "Why is there a black national anthem though for real? When did segregation become popular again?" A fifth user dismissed Kelly, commenting, "She’s a nut. Stopped paying attention to her after the whole white Santa thing."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

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