Student’s ‘Banner’ banned, apology issued

When Shai Warfield-Cross finished singing the national anthem at a Bloomington High School North basketball game Jan. 21, she said she no longer felt like she was in the land of the free.

After receiving complaints about Warfield-Cross’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Jennifer Hollars, a girls’ athletic director at North, informed Warfield-Cross that she would need to sing a more traditional version of the song if she hoped to continue performing.

Warfield-Cross’s rendition contained the original lyrics but a slightly different melody.
 
“She began by saying how she enjoyed my national anthem and that I was probably the best singer in the school,” Warfield-Cross said. “But she told me I could no longer sing it my way because it was disrespectful to the people who have died for our country.”

Warfield-Cross said she did not understand why people were complaining and began to feel disappointed in herself. She said she had only recently worked up the courage to sing in public without being nervous.

“She made me feel like I was wrong,” Warfield-Cross said. “My goal is to become a singer or an accomplished basketball player, so I thought this would just prepare me for tough criticism, not make me want to quit.”

In a statement to the Herald-Times on Jan. 26, North Principal Jeffry Henderson clarified that the request was a response to complaints from fans and did not indicate the position of the school or administrators.

Courtney Sunderland, a member of the U.S. Army, said she did not think Warfield-Cross was being disrespectful.

“I would not take offense of it at all,” Sunderland said. “It was her way of showing her support for our country but in her own unique way.”

Henderson met with Warfield-Cross to establish guidelines for a traditional performance of the national anthem. On Jan. 22, Warfield-Cross sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” before a basketball game and administrators said they were pleased by the performance.

Warfield-Cross said the version she sang at that game was no different from the anthem she had been singing since the beginning of the season.

Although North was continuing to allow her to perform, Warfield-Cross wanted to let administrators know how she felt about the situation.

Her father, Derrick Cross, and her stepmother, Aurora Marin, helped her write a letter to the school asking for a formal apology.

“The National Anthem is a historical symbol for our country for independence,” the letter said. “The irony is that Shai is being denied her right of artistic expression as a result of her natural voice and cultural heritage.”

Under pressure from the community and national media, Henderson issued a public apology to Warfield-Cross and her family Jan. 28.

“Shai has been an excellent representative of our school in the classroom, on the stage and on the court,” Henderson said in the apology. “The last thing I would want to do is hurt her feelings or make her feel like she has done something wrong. Our communications made her feel that way, and I deeply regret it.”

Henderson said he hoped the exposure from the situation would turn out to be an opportunity for Warfield-Cross to showcase her talent.

“The apology was sincere,” Warfield-Cross said. “He definitely tried to give me different options in order for me to regain his and the staff’s trust for not giving me the support I needed in the first place.”