Across the country, athletes and officials are refusing to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance or the National Anthem, saying they're protesting racism and police violence. Thursday, the City Council took a stand, singing the Black National Anthem before they voted on legislation. NY1's Courtney Gross filed the following report.
Rarely do the members of the City Council break out in song. Thursday was different.
Following the Pledge of Allegiance, local lawmakers sang a song more than a century old - the Black National Anthem.
The move follows Councilman Jumaane Williams' refusal to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance for weeks in protest of gun violence and police brutality.
"If the entire body singing the Black National Anthem helps continue this conversation, I think it's a great thing, and I think everybody agrees with me," Williams said.
Following the song, three Council members explained the reason for the move in three different languages.
Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito put it this way:
"During this time of great division that is happening nationally, the idea of us as a legislative body for this wonderful city, for this diverse city, and we believe in diversity and the rights of everyone, that we come in a moment of unity is really impactful," she said.
Three Republican members were not in the room for the demonstration. Two of them, Steven Matteo and Joseph Borelli both from Staten Island, told us before they had a meeting and wouldn't be there. The other, Queens Councilman Eric Ulrich, said he was late.
The song distracted from the news of the day: the Council was aopproving new protections for freelance workers and closing a loophole to speed along demolitions of homes destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.
We are also told it created friction between Council members, particularly those in the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, who debated how the body should demonstrate and who should be involved.
"We wanted to have all members have an opportunity to suggest what action would be significant not only to the black and Latino and Asian caucus, but also to the entire body and would send a resounding message after a long and deliberating process," said City Councilman Robert Cornegy of Brooklyn.
Council members tell us the singing is a one-and-only-time thing. Jumaane Williams' protest is ongoing.