Hours before the CMAs broadcast, an impromptu announcement said Beyoncé would be performing, igniting a wave of racist #BoycottCMA tweets on X (formerly Twitter) from those in opposition. Davenport, a Nashville native who attended the show that night, recalled on X, “I’ll never forget when a woman in front of me yelled ‘Get that Black bi**h off the stage!’” After grumbling remarks during the awards, a flood of reports noted that the Country Music Association appeared to have taken down any references to Beyoncé and the Chicks’ performance on their social media accounts and website, with some viewers complaining that they couldn’t find a video of it anywhere online, despite it being the most talked-about moment of the night. At the time, some believed the organization bent to the will of those upset by Beyoncé’s presence at the awards (since an official video still can’t be found on their website or YouTube). However, it later released a statement denying such claims. Still, that didn’t quiet the territorial comments from white self-proclaimed country fans who questioned why the singer would dare intrude on their culture— a culture that she and past and present Black artists have contributed to.
