“Lift Every Voice and Sing” was the official song of the NAACP. The anthem was first sung by 500 African American schoolchildren in Jacksonville, Florida, on February 12, 1900, as part of a celebration honoring Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. Johnson’s brother, John Rosamond Johnson, is the one who put the verses to music.
The song (the lyrics to which you can read here) was originally written by James Weldon Johnson as a poem in 1899, when the KKK was riding hard and Black people were being lynched and terrorized by Jim Crow laws in the American South. “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was originally written as a poem. Though it’s been performed publicly for nearly 100 years, there’s probably a lot you still don’t know about this iconic song-though if a congressman has his way, you’ll be hearing it alongside “The Star-Spangled Banner” in the near future. “Leaders should be using this moment to unequivocally stand firm against the rise of fascism and white nationalist violence coupled with agenda-setting to help uplift communities across the country.”īelow is a video of John Legend performing his rendition of “Lift Every Voice And Sing” during the virtual commencement exercises hosted by Morehouse School of Medicine in May 2020.“Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the so-called Black national anthem, was written by 20th-century novelist/poet/songwriter James Weldon Johnson as a rallying cry for perseverance and social justice. “Clyburn’s suggestion isn’t about what is better for Black people it’s about what will make whiteness comfortable,” Changa wrote in response to Clyburn’s proposal last month. But writer Anoa Changa suggested such a move could ultimately betray the true and original intentions of the song. James Clyburn even went so far as to suggest that “Lift Every Voice and Sing” should become America’s national hymn in an effort to heal racial wounds. But it also sets aside funding for issues stemming from the disproportionate effect that COVID-19 has had on Black people, including the shuttering of Black-owned businesses.Ĭonversely, Biden ally and South Carolina Rep. takes slow steps to address inequalities facing Black people in all walks of life.Īs a candidate, President Joe Biden named his plan for Black America the “Lift Every Voice” plan addresses some of the stereotypical topics associated with Black people, like gun violence and criminal justice.
It’s also gained increasing relevance in recent months amid a purported racial reckoning as the U.S. Today the song is an integral piece of Black patriotism. In 1990, singer Melba Moore released a modern rendition of the song, which she recorded along with others including recording artists Anita Baker, Stephanie Mills, Dionne Warwick, Bobby Brown, Stevie Wonder, Jeffrey Osborne, Howard Hewett BeBe & CeCe and The Clark Sisters. It is heavily performed at predominately African-American venues, especially in Black churches across the nation. Deep symbolism was found in its lyrics, allowing African-Americans to subtly speak against racial bigotry. Giving Tuesday: Contrary To Popular Belief, Black Folks Have Been Philanthropists ‘Since The Beginning Of Time’įor many African Americans, singing the song was their way of showing patriotism and hope for the future, considering the plight of racism they greatly faced.A Timeline Of Giving: Black Philanthropists’ Long History Of Donations In Education.Data Suggests Vaccine Hesitancy Among Blacks May Be Waning As Pfizer CEO Calls For Fourth Booster Dose.
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