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Lift Every Voice and Sing
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==Notable references and performances== In 1923, the male gospel group Manhattan Harmony Four recorded the hymn as "Lift Every Voice and Sing (National Negro Anthem)". It was added to the [[National Recording Registry]] in 2016.<ref name="Library of Congress">{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-17-029/ |title=National Recording Registry Picks Are "Over the Rainbow" |date=March 27, 2017 |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=July 23, 2020 }}</ref> In [[Maya Angelou]]'s 1969 autobiography, ''[[I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings]]'', the hymn is sung by the audience and students at Maya's eighth-grade graduation ceremony, after a white school official dashes the educational aspirations of her classmates.<ref>{{cite book |last=Angelou |first=Maya |author-link=Maya Angelou |title=[[I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings]] |publisher=Random House |year=1969 |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/iknowwhycagedbir00ange_0/page/169 169–184] |isbn=0-375-50789-2 }}</ref> In 1972, [[Kim Weston]] sang the hymn as the opening number for the [[Wattstax]] Festival at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. This performance was included in the film ''[[Wattstax]]'' which was produced by Wolper Films. The musical direction and recording were both overseen by [[Stax Records]] engineer [[Terry Manning]].{{cn|date=December 2022}} In 1975, [[James Brown]] quoted a lyric from the hymn as part of his performance of the U.S. [[The Star-Spangled Banner|national anthem]] before the [[Muhammad Ali vs. Chuck Wepner]] boxing match.<ref name=":1" /> In 1990, singer [[Melba Moore]] released a modern rendition of the hymn, which she recorded with the assistance of other singers, including R&B artists [[Stephanie Mills]], [[Freddie Jackson]], [[Anita Baker]], [[Dionne Warwick]], [[Bobby Brown]], [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Jeffrey Osborne]], and [[Howard Hewett]]; and gospel artists [[BeBe & CeCe Winans]], [[Take 6]], and [[The Clark Sisters]], after which, "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was entered into the ''[[Congressional Record]]'' by Del. [[Walter Fauntroy]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]-[[Washington, D.C.|DC]]).<ref>Anderson, Susan Heller. [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE2D7153EF93BA25757C0A966958260 "Chronicle"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', April 18, 1990. Retrieved January 20, 2009.</ref> It was also added to the National Recording Registry in 2016.<ref name="Library of Congress"/> In 2008, jazz singer [[Rene Marie]] was asked to sing the national anthem at a civic event in [[Denver]], Colorado, where she caused a controversy by substituting the words of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" into the song. This arrangement of the words of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" with the melody of "The Star-Spangled Banner" became part of the titular suite on her 2011 CD release, ''The Voice of My Beautiful Country''.<ref name="pellegrinelli">{{Cite news |last=Pellegrinelli |first=Lara |title=Poetic License Raises a Star-Spangled Debate |work=[[All Things Considered]] |publisher=[[NPR]] |url=https://www.npr.org/2009/07/03/106257394/poetic-license-raises-a-star-spangled-debate |date=July 3, 2009 |access-date=January 15, 2012}}</ref> On January 20, 2009, the Rev. [[Joseph Lowery]], a civil rights movement leader who co-founded and is a former president of the [[Southern Christian Leadership Conference]], used a near-verbatim recitation of the hymn's third stanza to begin his benediction at the inauguration ceremony for President [[Barack Obama]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Barack Obama Facts - 44th President of USA |url=https://www.tradenjoin.com/2022/12/barack-obama-facts.html |access-date=March 19, 2023 |website=Tradenjoin |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Jon Batiste]], former bandleader of the [[late-night talk show]] ''[[The Late Show with Stephen Colbert]]'', occasionally worked "Lift Every Voice and Sing" into the music that was played by his band [[Stay Human (band)|Stay Human]] when the program hosted a Black guest; he stated that the hymn "connects us to the history of all the people who we stand on the shoulders of—who have marched and fought and died for the freedoms we enjoy and that we're trying to improve upon".<ref name=":1" /> [[File:The Obamas sing with Smokey Robinson, Joan Baez and others, 2014.jpg|thumb|right|The [[family of Barack Obama]], [[Smokey Robinson]], and others singing "Lift Every Voice and Sing" in the [[White House]] in 2014]] On September 24, 2016, the hymn was sung by mezzo-soprano [[Denyce Graves]] and chorus at the conclusion of the opening ceremonies of the [[National Museum of African American History and Culture]], at which Obama delivered the keynote address. On October 19, 2017, when [[White supremacy|White supremacist]] leader [[Richard B. Spencer|Richard Spencer]] spoke at the [[University of Florida]], music professor Laura Ellis played "Lift Every Voice and Sing" on the university's [[carillon]] to convey a message of unity.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Diaz |first1=Andrea |last2=Chavez |first2=Nicole |title=College's bell tower trolled white supremacist with black national hymn| publisher=[[CNN]] |date=October 20, 2017 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/20/us/university-florida-bell-tower-trnd/index.html |access-date=October 20, 2017 }}</ref> On April 14, 2018, "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was sung by [[Beyoncé]] during her [[Beyoncé 2018 Coachella performance|headlining performance]] at the [[Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hudson|first=Tanay|date=April 15, 2018|title=Beyoncé's Coachella Performance Had HBCU Vibes And We Are Loving It|work=MadameNoire|url=http://madamenoire.com/1021553/beyonces-coachella-performance-had-hbcu-vibes-and-we-are-loving-it/|url-status=live|access-date=April 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215090321/https://madamenoire.com/1021553/beyonces-coachella-performance-had-hbcu-vibes-and-we-are-loving-it/|archive-date=February 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Schmidt|first=Samantha|date=April 16, 2018|title='Lift Every Voice and Sing': The story behind the 'black national anthem' that Beyoncé sang|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/04/16/lift-every-voice-and-sing-the-story-behind-the-black-national-anthem-that-beyonce-sang/|url-status=live|access-date=April 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215090315/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/04/16/lift-every-voice-and-sing-the-story-behind-the-black-national-anthem-that-beyonce-sang/|archive-date=February 15, 2021|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In May 2018, the [[Tabernacle Choir]] performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing" during an edition of ''[[Music & the Spoken Word]]'' attended by members of the NAACP, who were in Salt Lake City for a national leadership meeting.<ref>{{Cite web|date=June 19, 2020|title=On this Juneteenth, watch two musical events celebrating African American history|url=https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-06-19/juneteenth-tabernacle-choir-naacp-lift-every-voice-and-sing-revelation-on-the-priesthood-1978-be-one-celebration-187231|access-date=January 17, 2021|website=Church News|language=en-US}}</ref> The song was featured as the opening and closing song of ''The Blues and Its People'', a [[Suite (music)|suite]] by [[Russell Gunn]] first performed on February 18, 2023, at Harlem's [[Apollo Theater]] to mark the 50th anniversary of [[Amiri Baraka]]'s book ''[[Blues People|Blues People: Negro Music in White America]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Scherstuhl |first=Alan |date=February 16, 2023 |title=Amiri Baraka's 'Blues People' Comes Home to the Apollo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/arts/music/amiri-baraka-blues-people-performance.html |access-date=February 19, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> === Prominence after the George Floyd protests === In mid-2020, "Lift Every Voice and Sing" began to receive renewed attention amid nationwide [[George Floyd protests|protests]] over the [[Murder of George Floyd|police murder of George Floyd]], which became a [[cause célèbre]] for what protesters considered brutal policing of the Black community: it was sung during demonstrations and other events which were held in solidarity.<ref name=":1" /> Presidential candidate [[Joe Biden]] referenced the hymn in his action plan for addressing racial disparities in the United States, which was titled "Lift Every Voice: The Biden Plan for Black America".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kight|first=Stef W.|title=Biden campaign unveils "Lift Every Voice" plan for African Americans|url=https://www.axios.com/joe-biden-campaign-african-american-plan-7a66d416-e72d-4d64-888b-b280dcd18f11.html|access-date=February 6, 2022|website=Axios|date=May 4, 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> On June 19, 2020, Google featured a [[Juneteenth]]-themed [[Google doodle|animation on its home page]], set to a [[spoken word]] rendition of the hymn's first verse by [[LeVar Burton]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Porter|first=Jon|date=June 19, 2020|title=Google Doodle celebrates the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/19/21296635/google-doodle-celebrates-the-155th-anniversary-of-juneteenth|access-date=February 6, 2022|website=The Verge|language=en}}</ref> In 2021, [[Vanessa Williams]] sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing" on the [[PBS]] [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]] special ''[[A Capitol Fourth]]'', commemorating the recognition of [[Juneteenth]] as a federal holiday.<ref name=":5" /> The hymn also began to be incorporated into sporting events: during [[NASCAR]]'s [[2020 Pocono 350]], musicians Mike Phillips and West Byrd quoted "Lift Every Voice and Sing" as part of their rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner",<ref name=":1" /> while the [[National Football League]] announced that "Lift Every Voice and Sing" would be played or performed as part of the pre-game ceremonies of all Week 1 games during the [[2020 NFL season|2020 season]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 2, 2020|title=The NFL Will Play 'Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing' Before Each Season-Opener Game|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/07/02/886936096/the-nfl-will-play-lift-every-voice-and-sing-before-each-season-opener-game|publisher=NPR}}</ref> The decision came as part of a new social justice campaign being introduced by the NFL, stemming from the league's acknowledgements of the [[Black Lives Matter]] movement,<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=June 5, 2020|title=NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says league was wrong for not listening to players earlier about racism|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/05/sport/roger-goodell-responds-nfl-stronger-together-video/index.html|publisher=CNN}}</ref> and its handling of players [[Taking the knee|taking a knee]] during the singing of the national anthem in order to [[U.S. national anthem protests (2016–present)|protest against]] [[Racial inequality in the United States|racial inequality]] and [[Police brutality in the United States|police brutality]].<ref name=":2" /> The NFL's [[NFL Kickoff Game|opening night kickoff game]] featured a filmed performance of the hymn by [[Alicia Keys]] at the [[Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum]],<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=September 11, 2020|title=Everything to Know About 'Lift Every Voice and Sing,' The Black Anthem Alicia Keys Performed at NFL Kick-Off|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9447704/lift-every-voice-sing-history-black-anthem|access-date=July 16, 2021|magazine=Billboard|language=en}}</ref> which was later replayed as part of the pre-game show of [[Super Bowl LV]] on February 7, 2021.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 7, 2021|title=Super Bowl: Jazmine Sullivan, Eric Church Perform National Anthem; H.E.R. Rocks "America the Beautiful"|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/super-bowl-jazmine-sullivan-eric-church-perform-national-anthem-h-e-r-rocks-america-the-beautiful|access-date=April 19, 2021|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en}}</ref> The NFL stated that it would again feature the hymn at Week 1 games and other "tentpole" events (including the [[NFL Draft]] and playoff games) during the [[2021 NFL season|2021 season]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 15, 2021|title=NFL says it will play Black national anthem before games again this season|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/news/563270-nfl-says-it-will-play-black-national-anthem-before-games-again-this-season|access-date=July 16, 2021|website=The Hill|language=en}}</ref> Some African American fans who were interviewed by [[NBC News]] felt that the NFL's decision was "pandering" that would not have a material impact on the league's pursuits of social justice.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Why fans see the NFL's 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' gesture as blatant pandering|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/black-fans-call-nfl-s-plan-play-lift-every-voice-n1233164|access-date=February 6, 2022|publisher=NBC News|date=July 9, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> {{As of|2025|02|}}, the song has been performed at five consecutive Super Bowl pregame ceremonies.<ref name="nbc-7feb2025">{{cite news |last1=Bunn |first1=Curtis |title=Why some are lashing out at the Super Bowl's pregame ceremony |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/2025-super-bowl-are-lashing-lift-every-voice-sing-black-national-anthe-rcna191030 |access-date=February 9, 2025 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=February 7, 2025}}</ref>
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