A song dubbed the ‘Black National Anthem’ will be performed at this year’s Super Bowl pre-game show, the NFL said, drawing mixed reactions.
The NFL has announced that the pregame entertainment for Super Bowl LVIII will include the performance of a song known colloquially as the “Black National Anthem,” drawing mixed reactions and stirring debate on social media and beyond.
Grammy-winning R&B singer Andra Day will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” unofficially known as the “Black National Anthem,” ahead of the Super Bowl game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Feb. 11, the NFL said in a Jan. 18 announcement.
The song, written by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900, served as a rallying cry for black Americans during the civil rights era.
Ms. Day took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to post her reaction to the NFL’s announcement.
“Peace & Blessings!!! Performing the Anthem at the SuperBowl yall! Grateful! Thank You God,” she wrote.
While Ms. Day’s reaction to the NFL’s announcement was understandably positive, reactions on X to the NFL’s post were mixed.
Reactions
Some reactions online to news that Ms. Day would be singing the “Black National Anthem” at the Super Bowl were positive, with some people praising the lineup.
“That’s a good lineup! Love it,” one user commented in a post on X.
Country music legend Reba McEntire will perform the national anthem at the pre-game show, while musician Post Malone will deliver
There were plenty of negative reactions to the NFL’s decision to include “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at the pre-game show, however.
Some people suggested it sows division because there already is a national anthem for everyone.
“No need for a separate national anthem for the black community,” one user wrote. “Don’t need a ‘black’ national anthem and an ‘everyone else’ national anthem. Our national anthem is called that for a reason—it’s for all Americans.”
Another user said they found “Lift Every Voice and Sing” a “beautiful song” but added they would rather have no anthem at all performed at the Super Bowl “than two divided on race.”
