Get ready, surely this year won’t be different than last. The singing of the Black National Anthem as part of the opening ceremony will draw criticism with both sides taking to social media and beyond to express their views.
Last year, for the first time, the NFL’s pre-Super Bowl festivities included a performance of the “Black National Anthem. The song was sung by actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, one of the stars of the hit show “Abbott Elementary.”
This year, vocalist Andra Day has been slated to sing the song and she responded to last year’s controversy this morning in an interview with Gayle King on the CBS Morning Show.
In response to the controversy, Day who says she’s a very spiritual and praying person says her goal in the delivery of the song is to diminish herself, “and really be in service of the spirit of God, whoever that is for people.”
“If people are able to sort of put down this kind of negative connotations surrounding this, or these prejudices, or these ideas, then I think we can really share in a very beautiful spiritual moment together,” said Day.
The Conservatives
Photos posted on social media showed former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake remaining seated for the Black National Anthem at last year’s game.
Her campaign’s Twitter account, Kari Lake War Room, explained in a post: “Our girl is against the idea of a ‘black National Anthem’ for the same reason she’s against a ‘white National Anthem,’” namely that “she subscribes to the idea of ‘one Nation, under God.’”
Conservatives saw it as “wokeness” infringing upon football.
“America only has ONE NATIONAL ANTHEM,” she wrote Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) in a post on Twitter. “Why is the NFL trying to divide us by playing multiple!? Do football, not wokeness.”
“I would die before singing or even acknowledging this stupid gesture. Enough is enough. You that support this are the racist and those that continue to burn the fire,” read another post.
But a lot of the posts were hate filled.
“The only racists I run into on a daily basis are American-born black people, most especially the women. Antifa destroyed an entire section of Kansas City in summer of 2020,” posted superred946.
Not quite as harsh as some of the posts, MJ Brennan wrote “I don’t care if they sing the song but there is no such thing as a black nation anthem nor should there be. There is only one
America and it has only one National anthem. Stop trying to destroy all the success made towards stopping racism by bringing it back.”
On the Other Side
This will be the fourth consecutive year that a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” will be showcased at the Super Bowl.
It began in the 2020 NFL season, following nationwide protests in the wake of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s deaths at the hands of the police.
In response, the NFL introduced “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as part of its pre-game ceremonies.
Posts of those supporting the inclusion of the song, claim that those who have a problem with the song are the reason it needs to be sung.
Some of the posts suggest people stop and listen to the words or read the lyrics of the hymn,” Lift Every Voice and Sing,” written by James Weldon Johnson in 1900. They definitely aren’t hostile words. Written in the height of Jim Crow policies and violence by Whites against Blacks, the song does not encourage anger, hatred or violence in response nor does it urge racial segregation.
In the first verse Johnson speaks of “harmonies of Liberty,” pointing out what the “dark past has taught us” and being filled with “the hope that the present has brought us.” In the third verse, Johnson begins with “God of our weary years/God of our silent tears/Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way.” He continues this faithful expression, writing, “Thou who hast by Thy might/Led us into the light/Keep us forever in the path, we pray.”
These words, which were written to be uplifting to African Americans, have an uplifting message that, if really listened to when it’s sung this Sunday, could prove uplifting to all Americans.
Blacks and whites fought TOGETHER to earn freedom in the USA, We are ONE NATION UNDER GOD, period. The NFL is foolish for driving and resurrecting racism back into our lives. IDIOTS!
Very fair and informative article but one major factor was excluded. The kneeling during our national anthem and standing for the Black anthem by predominantly black athletes and performers during public performances. One can conclude malicious motives and begin finger pointing according to melanin content. Do a DNA check of all attendees and I’m sure it will be a collage of ethnicity. Your making your point on the frosting and neglecting the cake.
There is no such thing as a black national anthem. There is no country named black. This is about dividing the country and pushing Marxism. And big surprise the white liberals are using black people to push their agenda.
So, where is the national anthem at the Superbowl for the other races in the United States?? In the past there was ONE national anthem sung at the Super Bowl for everyone why change it? Showing favoritism to one race is a discrimination to the other races!!!
Why not a latino, asian, muslim, American indian, national anthem?Eventually there won’t be time for the game. I thought this was the UNITED states of America!
What is really behind this? Pride or self-segregation? What is the real motive?
This is going the wrong way and getting worse. Over inclusion actually becomes exclusion and alienation of others. There is nothing diverse when it only includes one race in a country full of EVERY RACE.
There is no such thing as the black anthem. It divides as the marxist left wants to do . The National Anthem is about all American unifying !
The bs being pushed totally disrespects all of the black , as well as all other races who have served and sacrificed in military as well as all other service to OUR Country!!