Philadelphia Flyers remove Kate Smith statue over racism allegations
- New York Yankees made similar move last week
- Controversy over song That’s Why the Darkies Were Born
The Philadelphia Flyers removed a statue of the late singer Kate Smith outside the NHL team’s arena on Sunday, two days after covering it amid allegations of racism against the 1930s star who made a popular recording of God Bless America.
“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.”