The Black National Anthem???

[BeautiFlyB]

Today I was asked by a white coworker what the song was that all the people sang last night at Martin Luther King Jr's church in Atlanta... When I explained that there was a black national anthem she was genuinely suprised... She asked if all black people knew the song... and I assumed that they did until I asked a few... No one that I asked knew what I was talking about either... I'm kind of shocked to find that this song is not as widely known in the black community as I thought. So just in case you'd like the schooling... Here's my part to help increase the knowledge...

"Lift Every Voice and Sing"
Was publicly performed first as a poem as part of a celebration of President Abraham Lincoln's Birthday on February 12, 1900 by 500 schoolchildren at the segregated Stanton School. Its principal, James Weldon Johnson, wrote the words to introduce its honored guest Booker T. Washington.

The poem was later set to music by Mr. Johnson's brother, John, in 1905. 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 black 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.
In 1939, Augusta Savage received a commission from the World's Fair and created a 16 foot tall plaster sculpture called Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing. Savage did not have any funds for a bronze cast, or even to move and store it, and it was destroyed by bulldozers at the close of the fair.

During and after the American Civil Rights Movement, the song experienced a rebirth, and by the 1970s was often sung immediately after "The Star Spangled Banner" at public events and performances across the United States where the event had a significant African-American population.[citation needed]
In Maya Angelou's 1969 autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the song is sung by the audience and students at Maya's eighth grade graduation, after a white school official dashes the educational aspirations of her class.

In 1990, "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" was entered into the Congressional Record as the official African American National Hymn.

The Chicago Children's Choir Perform the Anthem:

"Lift every voice and sing
'Till Earth and Heaven ring
Ring with the harmonies
Of Liberty...
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list'ning 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
'Till victory is won!"

[Mr. X]

Why you trying to separate my country? Why you trying to get black people to sing a different song than the white people? Their song ain't good enough for you? Why can't we all sing the same songs and live under the same song and breath the same air and enjoy the same damn country?

[BeautiFlyB]

White People can sing it too Enjoy!

LOL... but seriously... this song is of great historical significance... for someone to say that they don't know this song to me is the same as saying you don't know MLK... it should be common knowledge... And on top of that... it's such an awesome song... if you ever heard the entire thing... even you'd be moved.

[JehovAllah]

stylemaster's thread have never sucked so much...

[DJMethods]

Maybe its hatred I spew? Maybe its food for the spirit?

[BeautiFlyB]

Originally Posted by SKAMPOE

stylemaster's thread have never sucked so much...

Sir we're gonna have to ask you to either purchase another seat or get off the plane... you're taking up too much space... we're sorry for the inconvenience...

[Sky Blue Danny Kid]

Everybody knows the black national anthem is FBI by the dayton family.

I just found that CD today in an old cd case in the basement at my parent's house. I havent listened to that shit in like 8 years. It was a heart-warming voyage back to the days of my youth and it was a beautiful experience. No homo.

[Ghost In The 'Lac]

or

[tajeco]

it's better than the US's national anthem star spangled banner bullshit. "Land of the free, home of the brave", should be "home of the slaves", since the lyrics to the song were written over 50 years before slavery was abolished. I don't remove my hat for that shit, or put my hand on my heart, that's just stupid anyways

[JehovAllah]

Originally Posted by BeautiFlyB

Today I was asked by a white coworker what the song was that all the people sang last night at Martin Luther King Jr's church in Atlanta... When I explained that there was a black national anthem she was genuinely suprised... She asked if all black people knew the song... and I assumed that they did until I asked a few... No one that I asked knew what I was talking about either... I'm kind of shocked to find that this song is not as widely known in the black community as I thought. So just in case you'd like the schooling... Here's my part to help increase the knowledge...

"Lift Every Voice and Sing"
Was publicly performed first as a poem as part of a celebration of President Abraham Lincoln's Birthday on February 12, 1900 by 500 schoolchildren at the segregated Stanton School. Its principal, James Weldon Johnson, wrote the words to introduce its honored guest Booker T. Washington.

The poem was later set to music by Mr. Johnson's brother, John, in 1905. 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 black 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.
In 1939, Augusta Savage received a commission from the World's Fair and created a 16 foot tall plaster sculpture called Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing. Savage did not have any funds for a bronze cast, or even to move and store it, and it was destroyed by bulldozers at the close of the fair.

During and after the American Civil Rights Movement, the song experienced a rebirth, and by the 1970s was often sung immediately after "The Star Spangled Banner" at public events and performances across the United States where the event had a significant African-American population.[citation needed]
In Maya Angelou's 1969 autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the song is sung by the audience and students at Maya's eighth grade graduation, after a white school official dashes the educational aspirations of her class.

In 1990, "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" was entered into the Congressional Record as the official African American National Hymn.

The Chicago Children's Choir Perform the Anthem:

"Lift every voice and sing
'Till Earth and Heaven ring
Ring with the harmonies
Of Liberty...
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list'ning 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
'Till victory is won!"

[GENERAL WISE]

Maya Angelou

[drippie k]

black national anthem my ass


the chinese that worked on railroads got one?
what about the japanese that were put into concentration camps in the u.s. in ww2?

not sayin their situations were worse...but still

[BeautiFlyB]

Did you ask them? They very well might...