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Black History Month

 

The Story Of “Lift Every Voice And Sing”

Written by Shamika Sanders on February 11, 2010 3:33 pm

On February 12, 1900, 500 school children gathered at a segregated Stanton School, the principal at the time-James Weldon Johnson wrote a poem to welcome the guest speaker Booker T. Washington.

It was called “Lift every voice and sing.” What started as a poem ended as a song when Johnson’s brother John Rosamond Johnson set it to music soon after. “Lift Every Voice And Sing” was labeled “The Black National Anthem” in 1919 by the NAACP and served as a liberty cry for abused African Americans everywhere!

The  lyrics are as follows:

“Lift every voice and sing,
‘Til earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on ’til victory is won.”

Ray Charles sang an interesting rendition on the Dick Cavett Show on September 18, 1972.

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  • http://www.blackplanet.com/jazzwatch/ jazzwatch

    LOVVVVE this song…..my second best next to “Smiling Faces”……..

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/WindChimes/ WindChimes

    I loved seeing President Obama singing the Black National Anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” I wish the first Black President had the support of the Democratic Senators since he promoted from Junior Senator to President in 2008, but it’s apparent since the first 100 days through his first year in office that “white power” is the only agenda the Democrats, Independents and Republicans will support in a bipartisan fashion.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/distantlover19/ distantlover19

    PLEASE STOP THIS BLACK PRIDE BULL S**T ALL BLACK PEOPLE TALK BAD ABOUT OTHER BLACK PEOPLE ALL BLACK PEOPLE ROB OTHER BLACK PEOPLE ALL BLACK PEOPLE MURDER OTHER BLACK PEOPLE

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/MsLee/ MsLee

    @distantlover19… wtf is your problem?

    if there was more black pride and all blacks participated in it there would less of the behaviour your described. this article was for once not ment to offend or critize or talk bad about anybody, but you had to bring hate to it? why? do you hate your people?

    smile. it’s ok to note the bad, but embrace the good to the point that it shines through all the bad.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/3801_tom/ 3801_tom

    I Love this Song,We should sing it at all BLACK EVEVTS!!!!And teach it to our children,Don’t Be Ashame of our pass because we need it to prepare ourself for the future.TEC

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/tamiya10/ tamiya10

    Yes, my favorite song during Black History Month. Churches should start their services with it each Sunday…..we shouldn’t have to wait until Black History Month to enjoy it’s beauty!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/tamiya10/ tamiya10

    distantlover is just a misguided soul and probably hasn’t been blessed with significant others who could help him understand who we are as a nation…..no matter what our color we are truly of one God and one blood. Just pray for his guidance.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Lots-o-Junk/ Lots-o-Junk

    I love that song… the moment I heard it my spirit was so lifted. I felt throughout my body that I was understood as a person….

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/DADDYDARYL/ DADDYDARYL

    WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE RENDITION THAT KIM DID? WASNT SHE SUPPOSED TO BE THE VOICE OF THE BLACK NATIONAL ANTHEM

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