In a move that’s got football fans buzzing, the NFL has confirmed that Grammy-winning artist Ledisi will open this year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans with a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” aka the Black National Anthem.
“Lift Every Voice and Sing” has been part of the pregame show ever since Alicia Keys’s prerecorded performance in 2021. Gospel duo Mary Mary sang the tune at the 2022 Super Bowl, while Sheryl Lee Ralph performed her moving rendition in 2023. Last year, Andra Day added to her own flair to it.
Since the announcement, some football fans and commentators have argued that the song’s inclusion is unnecessarily political and divisive.
One critic wrote on social media, “As if we needed another reason to not watch the damn game,” according to the Daily Mail.
“Between Taylor Swift and the black National Anthem. I will not be watching,” one person wrote on X, formally Twitter.
“I just heard that they are playing the black national anthem at the Super Bowl! My days of watching the Super Bowl are now over. We do not have a ‘white’ for national anthem, why do we have a ‘black” national anthem!’ someone else tweeted.
“The Black ‘National Anthem’ is being played at the Super Bowl. And with that I’ve decided that I won’t be watching. Black Americans ARE Americans. America has ONE National Anthem. The Black one is meant to divide,” a third person commented.
Adding fuel to the fire, Donald Trump will become the first sitting American president to attend the Super Bowl in person. Viewers everywhere are curious to see how Trump will respond, especially given his history with the NFL’s political controversies that stem from his reaction to former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick‘s protest in 2016. He seems to have changed his tune given recent gestures like some NFL players doing the “Trump dance” during the 2024 election cycle.
Last year at Super Bowl LVII, Republican politician and Trump supporter Kari Lake drew attention when she remained seated during the Black national anthem. Afterward, she posted on social media, “I’m just here for THE National Anthem,” per The Daily Mail. While many applauded Lake for exercising her right to protest, others viewed it as dismissive.
For countless fans, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” on one of the country’s most prominent stages is both a celebration of Black heritage and a reminder of the work that still needs to be done. One thing is clear: the conversation around the Black national anthem is far from over.
