R&B singer Chrisette Michele is making the most of her time on the world stage.
The 34-year-old NY native angered her fan base when she accepted an invite to perform at Donald Trump‘s Inauguration on Jan. 20 in Washington D.C.
In an Open Letter to her enraged fan base, an unapologetic Chrisette wrote “I am here, representing you”.
“We Can’t Be Present If We’re Silent,” Chrisette wrote. She added that she is “willing to be a bridge” to unify blacks and whites after 8 years of fear and uncertainty under the outgoing administration.
“My heart is broken for our country, for the hopes of our children, for the fights of those who came before us,” she wrote. “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ‘Our lives begin to end, the day we become silent about what matters.’ I am here, representing you, because this is what matters.”
According to the NY Daily News, Chrisette agreed to perform as long as she could sing an R&B set rather than traditional songs.
The backlash began soon after Chrisette’s reps announced she was performing for the new president.
Chrisette’s scheduled Jan. 19 concert at New Jersey’s Starland Ballroom was abruptly cancelled.
But Chrisette won’t be strapped for cash. She will reportedly receive $750,000 to perform at the Inauguration.
Adding his voice to the growing chorus of critics, Musician Questlove tweeted, “I’d pay Chrisette to NOT perform”.
