The song “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which has become commonly known as the “Black National Anthem,” has been a regular feature at major sporting events since 2020, and it was performed again before the Super Bowl LIX clash where the Kansas City Chiefs faced off against the Philadelphia Eagles. However, not everyone was pleased to hear the song.
Grammy Award-winning artist Ledisi gave her rendition of the song before the game commenced, prior to the performance of the traditional national anthem.
The song, which is included in 42 different Christian hymnals, draws its inspiration from the biblical Exodus, symbolizing the journey from slavery to the freedom of the “promised land.” It has grown in cultural significance within the Black community, especially after the tragic killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
🙏 @ledisi performs "Lift Every Voice And Sing" prior to Super Bowl LIX pic.twitter.com/LapZMgywZQ
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) February 9, 2025
Originally penned as a poem in 1899 by James Weldon Johnson to honor Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was composed by Johnson, a distinguished author, educator, lawyer, and civil rights activist, to celebrate Lincoln’s contributions.
This song has now been performed ahead of the last four Super Bowls. Alicia Keys provided a prerecorded version before the 2021 Super Bowl, Mary Mary performed it outside SoFi Stadium for Super Bowl LVI, and Andra Day delivered a live performance before last year’s game.
Beyond the Super Bowl, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” has also made appearances at other key NFL events, such as the NFL Draft and the previous season’s league kickoff.
While most people celebrated the performance and welcomed the hymn into the pregame routine, there was a segment of the audience that was not happy about the song’s inclusion, asserting that only “The Star-Spangled Banner” should be played at these occasions.
“We are all Americans, with one anthem: ‘The Star Spangled Banner,'” one person wrote on X.
“There is only 1 National Anthem,” someone else said.
“There is only one national anthem for ALL Americans. This is ridiculous!” another person wrote.
“Trump should make the ‘black national anthem’ illegal,” someone else commented
“This needs to stop. There one national anthem. Stop dividing people based on the color of their skin. Black people are Americans. They don’t need their ‘own’ anthem,” another person wrote.
Of course, “The Star-Spangled Banner” was also performed. However, some believe it should have been the only song played.
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