Gospel singer Donnie McClurkin did not perform at a Washington, D.C. event celebrating the work of Martin Luther King this past weekend, though he was scheduled to headline the concert.

Although those putting on the event said McClurkin withdrew, McClurkin claims he was uninvited due to his views on homosexuality:

 

McClurkin was scheduled to perform in the D.C.-government-sponsored concert with other singers at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial during the “Reflections on Peace: From Gandhi to King” event. But at the request of Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D), who fielded concerns from activists Friday, the Grammy-winning singer decided not to perform, according to the mayor’s office.

 

“The Arts and Humanities Commission and Donnie McClurkin’s management decided that it would be best for him to withdraw because the purpose of the event is to bring people together,” said Doxie McCoy, a spokeswoman for Gray. “Mayor Gray said the purpose of the event is to promote peace and harmony. That is what King was all about.”

 

McClurkin disputed that account, saying he was “asked not to attend” the concert. In a lengthy video statement posted online Saturday, McClurkin said Gray “uninvited me from a concert that I was supposed to headline.”

 

“There should be freedom of speech as long as it’s done in love,” McClurkin said in the video, adding that he believes it is unfortunate that in today’s world, “a black man, a black artist is uninvited from a civil rights movement depicting the love, the unity, the peace, the tolerance.”

Read more at The Washington Post.

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