Black National Anthem vs. Black Nationalist Anthem



“Lift ev’ry voice and sing,
Till Earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty,
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list’ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.”

These are the quaint lyrics of a song that has been popularly declared the Black National Anthem. Composed in 1900 by James Weldon Johnson, this song is typically sung today by African-Americans during special occasions to honor our struggle and history in this country. Yet, few have ever questioned the history of this ballad, its author or the effort to declare it our Black National Anthem. Let us examine the history of this...