Black National Anthem - Life Every Voice and Sing

Source: http://themediansib.com/2008/07/02/black-national-...

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I didn’t realize there was a “Black National Anthem” but apparently there is. Video and lyrics are here. Now we learn that the black national anthem is “Lift Every Voice and Sing” which is a great song. I just didn’t realize it had been designated as the black national anthem. I wonder if there is a national anthem for Irish-Americans, Asian-Americans, Mexican-Americans, gay Americans. Most of all, I wonder when we’ll just be Americans and end all these divisive sub-groups. Having a “Black National Anthem” does no one - of any color - any good.

In Denver, at the “state of the city” address, when the national anthem was introduced, the woman who was invited to sing the national anthem sang the black national anthem instead. Apparently, everyone thought she would sing “The Star Spangled Banner” until she started singing. However, we’ve now learned that she is a person who enjoys controversy. Apparently, she was eager to claim her 15 minutes of fame.

A jazz singer has shocked some Denver residents after replacing the words of the national anthem with those of the “Black National Anthem” during the annual State of the City address.

Rene Marie was asked to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper delivered the annual address on Tuesday. Instead, she sang the lyrics of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” - a hymn commonly referred to as the “Black National Anthem” - to the tune of the national anthem.

“Life Every Voice and Sing” was written by James Weldon Johnson in 1899 for a presentation in celebration of the birthday of Abraham Lincoln. It was originally performed in Jacksonville, Florida, by children.

Here are the lyrics:

Life Every Voice and Sing
Lift every voice and sing
Till 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.
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,
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun
Let us march on till victory is won.

Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears have been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, Our God, where we met Thee;
Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand.
True to our GOD,
True to our native land

Here’s the story.
Here’s the video:

Life Every Voice and Sing - Black National Anthem

“Lift Every Voice and Sing” is a beautiful song, and I have no problem with its being sun at a “State of the City” function. However, the singer was asked to and agreed to sing the National Anthem, and the National Anthem is “The Star Spangled Banner.” She was dishonest with the event planners.

And folks, it is time to stop all this stupid division. Throughout the media, everything is always divided - anytime election results are discussed we hear about white voters, black voters, black male voters, black female voters, white female voters between 18 and 35, etc. Everyone is put into little racial, gender, socioeconomic and age boxes. Let’s stop allowing ourselves to be boxed in and all be AMERICANS.
Also read: Michelle Malkin, Little Green Footballs, Right Pundits, HotAir - and especially Baldilocks.

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