Seems wingers are going apeshit over the performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" -- also known as the "Black National Anthem."
This has led to some handwringing here and elsewhere that maybe performances of such songs should be forsworn so as not to offend the easy offended.
At the start of the event Tuesday morning, City Council President Michael Hancock introduced singer Rene Marie to perform the national anthem.Instead, she performed the song "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," which is also known as the "black national anthem."
When she finished, the audience responded with mild applause. The national anthem was never performed.
Governor Bill Ritter (D-Colorado) discussed the incident on The Mike Rosen Show on 850 KOA on Wednesday morning, calling it "inappropriate."
They are going nuts because they are nuts. It's to be expected, as other diaries here have noted, that this would bring out the racists. Anything involving blacks being something other than invisible will upset racists. Anything showing black with political power will upset the wingers -- since black political power is almost universally progressive.
But let's get one thing out of the way. There is nothing wrong with the song. In the actual news story, there was confusion that the singer didn't perform the "national anthem" that was expected; that is, the Star Spangled Banner, but to complain about any other aspect of the story is proof of ignorance or worse.
"Lift Every Voice" is called the "Black National Anthem" but for God's sake, it's not an either/or situation. Our nation has several anthems, and no one goes nuts over the others.
From wikipedia
"Lift Every Voice and Sing" was first performed in public in Jacksonville, Florida as part of a celebration of Lincoln's Birthday on February 12, 1900 by a choir of 500 schoolchildren at the segregated Stanton School, where James Weldon Johnson was principal.Singing this song quickly became a way for African Americans to demonstrate their patriotism and hope for the future. In calling for earth and heaven to "ring with the harmonies of Liberty," they could speak out subtly against racism and Jim Crow laws--and especially the huge number of lynchings accompanying the rise of the Ku Klux Klan at the turn of the century. In 1919, the NAACP adopted the song as "The Negro National Anthem." By the 1920s, copies of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" could be found in black churches across the country, often pasted into the hymnals.
Again, it's not like this is a parallel national anthem, or a dueling national anthem that hides a secret goal of white slavery. Put it akin to "God Bless America" and "America the Beautiful," both patriotic songs sung to show affection for the nation.
Frankly, "Lift Every Voice and Sing" is likely a more respectful song if you think about it. "The Star Spangled Banner" is an old British drinking song with a poem about a war the US essentially lost. "God Bless America" is our one-time mortal enemies anthem -- "God Save the Queen" with slightly different lyrics. At least "Lift Every Voice" is original.
But to be offended by this, people have to betray an ignorance of a song that is performed regularly in churches, schools, sporting events and public gatherings all over the nation, several times a day. The wingnuts getting all upset and acting all surprised are betraying an ignorance to a song better known than "Take me out to the ballgame" or "Rockabye Baby." They could get as offended by the former, as its performed with our nation's anthem at major community gatherings too.
As progressives with a modicum of education, a decent amount of historical curiosity, and no tolerance for racism, we should, as one, call this so-called outrage what it is -- blatent racism. No ground should be given. "Lift Every Voice" is a great song, sounds fantastic in the company of our nation's other anthems, and speaks for a population that deserves no less than our defense.
To cower to the idiots on this would make us unworthy of the song itself, and its vision of us as a nation.
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