Continuing a tradition that has taken place at most major sporting events since 2020, this year’s Super Bowl will feature a performance of the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which has become known affectionately as the Black national anthem.
On Thursday morning, NFL insider Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Super Bowl LVIII would once again feature a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” with the song set to be performed by Grammy Award-winning singer Andra Day before the game.
“Super Bowl LVIII lineup in Las Vegas: Reba McEntire with the National Anthem, Post Malone with ‘America The Beautiful,’ and Andra Day with ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,'” Schefter wrote in a post on X, the social media website that was formerly known as Twitter.
Super Bowl LVIII lineup in Las Vegas: Reba McEntire with the National Anthem, Post Malone with “America The Beautiful,” and Andra Day with “Lift Every Voice and Sing”.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 18, 2024
The song, which is featured in 42 different Christian hymnals, makes an allusion to the biblical Exodus from slavery to the freedom of the “promised land.” The song has been sung prominently by the Black community since Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd.
This will certainly not be the first time that the song has been played by the NFL as it it was played for a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions earlier this year. “Lift Every Voice and Sing” also was played before Super Bowl LVI and the NFL Draft in April 2021.
The Star Spangled Banner will also be performed before the game.
