Controversy over the Black national anthem at the Super Bowl is a made up problem
In February for Black History Month, USA TODAY Sports is publishing the series "29 Black Stories in 29 Days." We examine the issues, challenges and opportunities Black athletes and sports officials continue to face after the nation’s reckoning on race following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. This is the fourth installment of the series.
The Black national anthem will be sung at Super Bowl 58 by Andra Day. This should be a non-controversial thing. In various alternate universes, there's nothing problematic about it at all. It's a beautiful moment at the biggest sporting event in America.
In our universe? It's a problem. A dumb one. A made up one. But a problem.
It's a problem because of the right-wing. Their anger over the singing of the Black national anthem at American sporting events started several years ago and was again seen as problematic when actor and singer Sheryl Lee Ralph sang it at the Super Bowl last year.
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Former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake once refused to stand for it. Megyn Kelly objected to the singing of the song at the U.S. Open. Many others on the right have expressed the same sentiment saying it's divisive.
"Lift Every Voice and Sing" was written by former NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson. It essentially calls for the liberation of Black Americans. It's more commonly known as the Black national anthem.
One part of the lyrics: "Lift every voice and sing / ’Til earth and heaven ring / Ring with the harmonies of Liberty."
Yes, that's very controversial.
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And while the NFL does a lot of things that are propaganda, and its overall track record on race isn't great, this actually isn't a moment of phoniness for the league. It serves a smart purpose by exposing people to a part of Black history they otherwise might not know. When you learn about other people's history it can produce a strong sense of togetherness.
There are people in this country who don't want us united. Because in a truly united nation those people would lose elections. They'd lose power. They'd lose the grift. A united world doesn't work to their advantage.
People will try to stop the song but it will continue. It's been with us for over 100 years and it will keep going. Because it's about togetherness, not division.
