As I write this Super Bowl LVII is tied in the first quarter. I am not here to discuss the game. I am here to discuss the “Black National Anthem”. Or rather that we CAN only have one National Anthem and that ain’t it.
Don’t get me wrong “Lift Every Voice and Sing” is a Beautiful piece of music. Our Nina wrote about the history of the song two years ago. The lyrics are beautiful:
Lift Every Voice and Sing – Ray Charles
Lyrics
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I got something in my bones
Make me wanna shout “Hallelujah”
And when I sing it, sing on
I sing on
Woo, Lord help me
[Verse 1] Lift every voice and sing, ’til earth and Heaven ring
Ring with the harmonies of liberty
Let our rejoicing rise high as the listening skies
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea
Come on, y’all
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us
Hey, facing the rising sun, oh, of the new day begun
And let us march on ’til the victory’s won
God of our weary years, God of our silent tears
Thou Who hast brought us thus far along the way
Thou Who hast by Thy might led us into the light
And keep us forever, oh, in the path we pray
One more time, y’all
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee
My Lord, my God
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee
Help me, oh
Shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand
True to our God and true to our native land
[Outro] Facing the rising sun of the new day begun
And let us march on ’til our victory is won
Amen, Amen
The late, great Ray Charles sang it best:
Amen!
It is a beautiful piece but it is NOT our National Anthem. Newsweek was distraught that Representative Lauren Boebert pointed this out:
Boebert became the latest prominent Republican to criticize the National Football League (NFL) over the song’s inclusion, which will be performed alongside the “Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful.” The GOP lawmaker accused the league of attempting to “divide” Americans by including the Black National Anthem in the performance lineup.
“America only has ONE NATIONAL ANTHEM,” she tweeted. “Why is the NFL trying to divide us by playing multiple!? Do football, not wokeness.”
Critics argued, however, that Boebert’s tweet was more divisive than the inclusion of the performance. Condé Nast editor Luke Zaleski accused Boebert of “gaslighting” viewers.
I don’t think Luke Zaleski knows the meaning of “gaslighting”. I found more support for Boebert’s position on Twitter(?!)
I served in the military alongside black, white, Asians, Hispanics and other folks and we all saluted the same flag. We all sang one National Anthem. So this bullshit about black national anthem is a damn disgrace. Who want to attack me feel free I’m not scared of your ass.
— American Islandman (@N76247476Man) February 12, 2023
My “black” National Anthem is the same anthem I’ve been singing since I was a child. The same one children of all races have been singing. My National Anthem never needed a color.
Do they want racism to die, or do they want to keep finding ways to divide us all?
— Zeek Arkham (@ZeekArkham) February 12, 2023
Amen!
And our National Anthem “The Star Spangled Banner” is SO MAGNIFICENT.
Chris Stapleton just delivered one of the best National Anthem performances I’ve heard in a long time
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) February 12, 2023
I love “Lift Every Voice and Sing”. It’s beautiful. It could be our National Hymn. The Marines have a hymn.
May the best team win Super Bowl LVII and everyone be safe.
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Just Askin' says: You’re right, what an absolutely great rendition of our National Anthem. I won’t say it was spoiled by but, it certainly was lessened by the “All Women Flyover” immediately following. Really? We can’t just have an All American flyover, or maybe “All Services” flyover that might have included some woman aviators? Oh, and when we are talking “All Women,” are we talking real women or “genetically other” substitute womyn too?
Toni Williams says: They had to use women because the MEN were busy shooting down aliens. lol.
Just Askin' says: Dang, I should have figured that one out all by my lonesome. I guess that is why you are paid the big bucks here as a “Victory Girl.” and me … just a lonely voice screaming at the kids on my lawn ;>}
gregg says: there is no black nation
there is no black national athem
if you can’t handle america the beautiful then learn too
I don’t care if you served you served for AMERICA not the nation of islam not the black only neighborhoods
And if you don’t get that then you never will IMO
Bucky says: At one time there was a movement to replace “The Star Spangled Banner” with “America the Beautiful” as the national anthem because the former was claimed to be “too militaristic”. Now we apparently need multiple national anthems for various identify groups instead of just one for all Americans. The Left continues the Balkanization of our country.
Cameron says: I can get behind that change because “America the Beautiful” is easier to sing.
GWB says: “America The Beautiful” is nice, but is NOT a national anthem (except for those who don’t want to fight for our freedoms). It is also NOT easier to sing. The tune to the “Star Spangled Banner” is a bar song fer cryin’ out loud! What is too hard to sing is the professionalized version which has that stupid octave shift at the end. Want to sing it well? Reach down inside, imagine a large stein in your hand (full of the local brew), put your arms around your comrades, and sing it lustily and with fervor! Then you’ll sing it right and well!
ProudAmerican says: What would happen if we called our National Anthem the White National Anthem? ……..
Revjay4 says: What? Huh? “Black National Anthem”? Glad I didn’t watch the game, well, except for the last 2 minutes, and see the crap which the NFL has really sunk to in its race to total depravity.
I stopped watcing NFL when the idiot Colon got away with kneeling thing. Now they have given me another reason to not pay attention to them. Let them have their fun for now. There is a backlash coming. The silent majority is very patient. There is gonna be a day of reckoning.
Just sayin’.
Where is the:
Latino American Anthem?
Japanese American Anthem?
Polish American Anthem?
Aboriginal American Anthem?
French American Anthem?
German American Anthem?
I can go on and on.
We have a NATIONAL ANTHEM, born in the defense of our nation during the War of 1812.
When it is sung with with emotion and understanding, it can make the most stoic of us shed tears of Pride and Respect. It speaks to all Americans regardless of their ancestry. It is what UNITES US.
Anything else is divides us!
CJ Phaedrus says: Hey you didn’t list the Irish!
SNAKE USMC says: Remember, it was the BLOOD of people who desired to be free that our National Anthem was created. Many have died under ONE FLAG the Stars and Stripes. 640,000 Americans DIED (The South and North are considered the same by acts of congress) in the Civil War. This war was originally about State’s rights, but morphed into freeing the Caucasian and Negro SLAVES. Before the Civil War there was recorded 400,000 Negro Slaves AND 600,000 Caucasian Slaves listed on the books. https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=White+slavery+in+America&ia=news Read about it and pass the link on. My 21 years in ANGLICO USMC will NOT allow me to stand for this so called piece of s h black song.
Semper Fidelis
GOD
Country
Corps
Snake
GWB says: or do they want to keep finding ways to divide us all?
Duh. That’s where the grift and power is.
And our National Anthem “The Star Spangled Banner” is SO MAGNIFICENT.
Learn and sing the other three verses! They really are incredible and will get your steel on for fighting for our country.
Lloyd says: Kari Lake sat for the Black Song….Good for her! Would that more Americans has her guts!
NormB says: Whole lotta sheeple stood for that total affront to our country.
Steve S says: USA Today did a special Superbowl edition on Monday. Among the articles they included in that special edition was one by a Mr. Mike Freeman, under the headline “This was Blackest, most woke Super Bowl ever. Sorry haters!” Yes, the article lived up (down) to its headline.
I wrote to the editor in complaint. He responded with words to the effect the Freeman is good at challenging assumptions, and being provocative… I called BS back to him on this mealy-mouthed, weak attempted defense, calling it the miserable, divisive, scummy publication that it was. I challenged the editor to tell me if this kind of thing is an acceptable standard for his publication.
I’ve not heard back from him. I don’t expect to. These kind of people will not respond to a direct challenge calling the carp they publish for what it is.
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