“Lift Every Voice and Sing” Is the Official Black National Anthem — a Look at Its History

For centuries, music has helped bond communities during joyous and challenging times. One song, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” has been a revered part of Black culture in times of protest, celebration, and even legislation. The selection became the official Black National Anthem in the 1900s, and many have upheld its title.

The impact of “Lift Every Voice and Sing" spread worldwide, and many artists, from the late great Mahalia Jackson, to Beyoncé, to Alicia Keys, performed the song at separate events. Now, Abbott Elementary actor and Broadway star Sheryl Lee Ralph will perform it at Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023.

Ahead of Sheryl’s much-anticipated “Lift Every Voice and Sing” performance, let’s dive into the song’s history of how it became the Black National Anthem.

“Lift Every Voice and Sing” was created by poet, Broadway composer, and attorney James Weldon Johnson in 1900, per WGN. Initially, James wrote the song as a poem amid segregation, lynching, and other anti-Black attacks.

“Lift every voice and sing, ’til earth and heaven ring, ring with the harmonies of Liberty,” the lyrics begin, continuing with, “Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies, let it resound loud as the rolling sea.”

James’s poem was later developed into a song by his brother, Rosamond. The brothers brought together a choir of 500 children to perform it at the segregated school where James worked as a principal, Stanton School, in Jacksonville, Fla.

The song’s impact became more apparent during the civil rights movement and the beginning of the National Association of Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

In 1917, the NAACP made “Lift Every Voice and Sing” its official song and began referring to it as the “Negro National Anthem,” which was later changed to the Black National Anthem. The NAACP’s website said the song was also “prominently used as a rallying cry during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.”

Over the years, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” has made its rounds in mainstream media. In 2019, Amanda Seales had her crowd sing along to the song at her HBO standup special, I Be Knowin'. The hymn is also referenced in Black pop culture often.

Legendary actor and Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph will follow in her peers’ footsteps by performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” publicly. However, the stage will be at the center of football’s biggest night, the Super Bowl. Sheryl accepted the job in 2022 and said prepping for the performance has been more intense than anticipated.

“Oh my God, I was so nervous yesterday. I could hardly move,” Sheryl told People about her Super Bowl rehearsal. "It was like classic nerves. I was like, 'Oh my God, I'm gonna be sick.' And I actually was. I said, 'Oh no. I'm that nervous,'" she added. "I made myself sick."

Sheryl said deep breathing techniques from her son helped calm her nerves. The Emmy winner also met halftime performer Rihanna ahead of the performance, and RiRi offered the Savage X Fenty model something almost better than performance advice.

“You know what [Rihanna] said to me?” she asked People. “'I'm sending you all the makeup you will ever need. Please make sure you are a fab Fenty face on Sunday.' I said, 'For you? Absolutely.' I will be Fenty down."

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