Flyers remove statue of late singer Kate Smith over racism claims

April 22, 2019 12:00 am • Last Updated: April 23, 2019 8:05 pm

The covered Kate Smith statue sits outside Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Friday, April 19, 2019. The Philadelphia Flyers covered the statue outside their arena, following the New York Yankees in cutting ties and looking into allegations of racism against the 1930s star with a popular recording of “God Bless America.” Flyers officials said Friday they also plan to remove Smith’s recording of “God Bless America” from their library. They say several songs performed by Smith “contain offensive lyrics that do not reflect our values as an organization.” (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Flyers removed a statue of late singer Kate Smith outside NHL team's arena Sunday, two days after covering it amid allegations of racism against the 1930s star with 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."

On Friday, the Flyers said Smith's "God Bless America" recording had been removed from their library, following baseball's New York Yankees.

The Yankees suspended use of Smith's recording during the seventh-inning stretch amid conflicting claims about several of her songs, including a 1939 song "That's Why the Darkies Were Born." The tune originated in the 1931 Broadway revue "George White's Scandals," and was considered satire at the time. Smith's likeness also appears in a 1939 ad that heavily uses the mammy caricature, one of the most well-known racist depictions of black women.

Smith's connection with the Flyers started in 1969 when a team executive ordered her version of "God Bless America" to be played instead of "The Star Spangled Banner." That led to her performing the song several times before games in the 1970s. A year after her 1986 death, the team erected the statue.

In this May 13, 1975, file photo, Kate Smith sings "God Bless America" before an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff game between the New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers in Philadelphia. The New York Yankees have suspended the use of Smith's recording of "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch while they investigate an allegation of racism against the singer. (AP Photo, File)

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