Chloe X Halle Honor Breonna Taylor and George Floyd During NFL National Anthem Performance

Chloe X Halle
NFL/YouTube

The singers belted out the 'Star-Spangled Banner' while making a powerful statement with their outfits.

The NFL season officially kicked off Thursday night, and Chloe x Halle helped start things off in a big way. The pair performed the National Anthem, but made sure to use the platform to share a message.

The pre-taped number saw the singing sisters belting out the patriotic tune from the field at the empty Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in California, and aired before the season's debut game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans.

As they sang the time-honored anthem, they also made a powerful statement with their attire. 

Halle wore a white shirt with an image of George Floyd, with the words "Rest in Power," while Chloe donned a shirt with a depiction of Breonna Taylor, emblazoned with the words "Say Her Name."

The messages echo and reinforce the calls for justice that have been ringing out across the country in recent months after the deaths of Floyd, Taylor and countless other Black men and women, which sparked protests and demonstrations nationwide.

Apart from their performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner," Alicia Keys was tapped to perform a rendition of "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

During the performances, players for the Texans stayed in their locker room at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, while the Chiefs took the field. One player, defensive end Alex Okafor, took a knee during the anthem.

After the anthem, the Texas took to the field and players from both teams locked arms for a "moment of unity." It was a gesture agreed upon in advance by the Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Texans' quarterback Deshaun Watson.

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