Should We Really Drop Kate Smith’s ‘God Bless America’ From Sporting Events Because Of A Couple Of Racist Songs She Sang 80-Odd Years Ago? Well, Yes

Last week, someone brought forward two now-embarrassing songs about black people that Smith recorded in the 1930s (we’ll spare you the titles), and teams in New York and Philadelphia that had been playing her version of the Irving Berlin anthem at games promptly dropped her. Anne Midgette wondered if this was an overreaction — until she talked to two black opera stars who’ve done a lot of singing at sports events themselves. – The Washington Post