Will the NFL Play the Black National Anthem Before Games?

With the NFL season just around the corner, many fans are wondering if the league will play the Black National Anthem before games.

Introduction

In early June, the NFL made a commitment to “amplify” the Black Lives Matter movement by vowing to “support players in their efforts to bring attention and awareness to important issues of justice and equality.” As part of this pledge, the league said it would “immediately address” how it would “use our platform to bring attention [to] police brutality and racial inequality through our actions, policies, and programs.”

One way the NFL could make good on its promise is by playing the Black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” before every game this season. The idea has been brought up before but never seriously considered by the league. But with players like Drew Brees and Patrick Mahomes publicly supporting the idea, there’s growing momentum for the league to do something significant to show its support for Black Lives Matter.

There are a number of reasons why playing the Black national anthem before NFL games would be a powerful gesture. For one thing, it would signal that the NFL is serious about its commitment to combating racism. Making “Lift Every Voice and Sing” a part of NFL games would also be a way of honoring the contribution of Black players to the league, as well as acknowledging that the league has not always been welcoming to Black players and fans. And finally, it would be a way of uniting players and fans around a shared sense of purpose at a time when racial divisions are being magnified by our political leaders.

Of course, there are also some potential downsides to playing the Black national anthem before NFL games. Some people might see it as a cynical marketing ploy or an empty gesture that does nothing to address systemic racism within the league. Others might worry that playing two national anthems could create division rather than unity. And there’s always the possibility that White fans who are uncomfortable with displays of racial solidarity will simply stop watching NFL games altogether.

Ultimately, whether or not to play “Lift Every Voice and Sing” before NFL games is something that league officials will have to weigh carefully. But given everything that’s happening in our country right now, it’s hard to see how they could make a more powerful statement in support of Black Lives Matter than by making this small but significant change to the way they do business.

What is the Black National Anthem?

The Black National Anthem, also known as “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” was written by James Weldon Johnson in 1900 and first performed by a 500-person choir at a celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday in Jacksonville, Florida. The song quickly became popular within the African-American community and was adopted as an unofficial anthem by the NAACP in 1919.

In 1931, the music publisher Henderson published the song with a new arrangement by John Rosamond Johnson, James Weldon Johnson’s brother. The new arrangement included a piano part and was intended to be sung in a gospel style. It was first performed publicly by the National Negro Choir at Carnegie Hall in February of that year.

The lyrics of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” celebrate African-American history and culture, while also looking to the future with hope and Pride. The opening verse calls on black people to “sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,” while the second compares black people to “asymphony of beautiful melodies limited only by the imagination.” The final verse envisions a future where black people will “walk hand in hand” and “be free at last!”

In 2016, then-San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” to protest racial injustice in America. Other players soon joined him, and the kneel became a symbol of protest against police brutality and racism. In response to the protests, many called for “Lift Every Voice and Sing” to be played before NFL games as a way to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Though some NFL teams have played “Lift Every Voice and Sing” before games, it is not currently part of league-wide policy. In September 2020, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that he would “encourage” teams to play it before games, but stopped short of making it mandatory.

What is the NFL’s stance on the Black National Anthem?

In recent weeks, there has been growing pressure on the NFL to play the Black National Anthem before games in an effort to recognition the ongoing struggle for racial equality in America. However, the league has thus far resisted this call, instead opting to play both “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” before games on Opening Weekend.

It is unclear if the NFL will continue to hold this stance as the season progresses, but given the recent increase in activism amongst players and the growing public pressure, it seems likely that they will eventually cave to demands and start playing the Black National Anthem before all games. Only time will tell for sure.

What are people saying about the NFL’s stance on the Black National Anthem?

The #TakeAKnee movement began in 2016 when then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality. The movement picked up steam last year after President Donald Trump said NFL players who didn’t stand for the anthem should be “fired.”

Since then, the league has been trying to figure out how to handle the National Anthem issue. Some people believe that playing the Black National Anthem before games would be a way to show support for the #TakeAKnee movement and to signal that the NFL is committed to racial equality.

Others, however, believe that this would be a form of “divide and conquer” that would further polarize the country. They believe that playing two anthems would simply be too confusing and that it would be better for the NFL to just stick with playing the traditional “Star-Spangled Banner.”

What do you think? Should the NFL play the Black National Anthem before games?

Conclusion

It is still unknown if the NFL will play the Black national anthem before games, but it is something that is being discussed by the league. Players have voiced their support for the idea, and it seems like a possibility that the league could adopt this practice in the future.