The National Football League plans to incorporate the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing" at major events moving forward.
According to the NAACP, the song was written and performed for the occasion of Abraham Lincoln's birthday in 1900. With its promise of freedom, the solemn hymn was adopted by the group as the "Black national anthem" and became a rallying cry during the civil rights movement.
Now, the song will become "a prominent part of all big league events," reports Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports.
Presumably then, that will include the 2021 season kick-off game between defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys, Super Bowl LVI, and the 2022 NFL Draft, among other events.
"Lift Every Voice and Sing" will be performed in addition to, not instead of, "The Star Spangled Banner." For example, Super Bowl LV featured performances of both "America the Beautiful" and "The Star Spangled Banner" before the game started. Presumably the addition of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" will follow a similar format.
Last year, 15-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys performed a version of the song that was played ahead of all Week 1 NFL games:
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
