Ahead of Super Bowl LVII, the NFL featured the singing of the so-called “black national anthem” to be sung before the proper national anthem, and wokesters on social media have thoughts.
The NFL brought in actress and singer Sheryl Lee Ralph to sing the 1905 tune, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” who tweeted ahead of her performance that her appearance comes 123 years after the song was performed in public for the first time.
Ralph’s video shows her entering the stadium wearing a custom-made “X” jersey:
It is no coincidence that I will be singing the Black National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing at the Super Bowl on the same date it was first publicly performed 123 years ago (February 12, 1900). Happy Black History Month! @nfl @rocnation @SavageXFenty
Tune in at 3pm/6pmEST. pic.twitter.com/1rPopQ9jtV
— sheryl lee ralph (@thesherylralph) February 12, 2023
A legion of liberals quickly jumped to Twitter to celebrate the separatist song.
On Founders’ Day of the #NAACP, thank you @thesherylralph for singing James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at #SuperBowl . #BlackNationalAnthem pic.twitter.com/4ICKOO61FG
— Gerald A. Griggs (@AttorneyGriggs) February 12, 2023
This is the Black National Anthem that Republicans are so outraged over. It’s called “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and they want it removed from the #SuperBowl. They can’t stand it being taught to kids in school!
Whatever you do, don’t retweet it. It might upset GOP ears! pic.twitter.com/D1uXkrTv2B
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) February 12, 2023
Sheryl Lee Ralph singing “Lift Every Voice” is exactly what I needed 😩🙌 #SuperBowl #SherylLeeRalph pic.twitter.com/Ay1ifBb9er
— SΞAN (@Seanlofficial) February 12, 2023
There are about to be a bunch of folks in their feelings about how much better Lift Every Voice sounds than the National Anthem. #SuperBowl
— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) February 12, 2023
Following ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ with the ‘Tomahawk Chop’ is America in a nutshell.
— Heather Barmore (@HeatherBarmore) February 12, 2023
“Lift Every Voice”is a better song than the “Star Spangled Banner.”
Yeah, I said it.
— Manic Middle Aged Pixie Dreamgirl (@RebekahWriter) February 12, 2023
Sheryl Lee Ralph from #AbbottElementary performs “Lift Every Voice and Sing”.
With two black quarterbacks playing and Rihanna headlining the halftime. This is really the blackest #SuperBowl ever and I am glad I get to witnessed👏
— TV Fanatic👑⚜️ (@TvKhaleesi) February 12, 2023
Sheryl Lee Ralph looked and sounded amazing, singing “The Black National Anthem” ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ during the Superbowl pre-game show, which happens to also be 123 years to the date, when the hymn was first publicly sung! pic.twitter.com/8RPvD5YCkn
— The Hillman Files (@thehillmanfiles) February 12, 2023
“Lift Every Voice and Sing” (the “Black National Anthem”) has been playing before *every* NFL game this season.
What’s especially baffling to me is Christians complaining about a hymn playing before the Super Bowl. Maybe they should reflect on the lyrics. pic.twitter.com/xIe2vtxAhE
— Matt Mikalatos (@mattmikalatos) February 12, 2023
But not everyone thought that having a song that appeals only to blacks was a good idea to show national unity for a game that purportedly hopes to appeal to Americans of all races.
The @NFL is making a huge mistake, in my humble opinion, by having “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” what has traditionally been referred to as the “black national anthem,” sung at the #SuperBowl. What more divisive message could be sent than to suggest we’re a nation of two anthems.
— Darrell B. Harrison (@D_B_Harrison) February 9, 2023
It’s pretty racist to have a black national anthem but not one for any other ethnicity
— Average Gamer (@AverageGamer_15) February 12, 2023
Our national Anthem (The Star Spangled Banner), is just that…National. We don’t need to separate ourselves into tribalism, flattering ourselves with notions of our own moral superiority. Be proud of the race you are…but be UNITED as a country, starting with the National Anthem.
— Jan Holloway (@JanHoll45954950) February 12, 2023
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