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Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly sparked controversy with her criticism of Andra Day's rendition of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," often referred to as the Black national anthem, performed during the Super Bowl pre-game ceremony.
Kelly took to social media to express her disapproval, stating,
"The so-called Black National Anthem does not belong at the Super Bowl. We already have a National Anthem and it includes EVERYONE."
You can see her post below.
"Lift Every Voice and Sing" was penned by James Weldon Johnson, a prominent civil rights activist and leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), in 1900.
The song, later set to music by Johnson's brother J. Rosamond Johnson, emerged as a powerful anthem of empowerment for Black Americans, particularly in the wake of the American Civil War and the 1896 "separate but equal" segregation ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson.
The lyrics of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" contain allusions to significant historical events, such as the transatlantic slave trade, the Jim Crow system, and the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
The song's enduring impact led the NAACP to designate it as the "national anthem" for Black Americans in 1919, 12 years before "The Star-Spangled Banner" was officially declared the national anthem.
Kelly's statement was swiftly called out for racism.
In recent years, the song regained prominence amid nationwide protests following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. It was also referenced in President Joe Biden's plan for addressing racial disparities, titled "Lift Every Voice: The Biden Plan for Black America."
Regarding its inclusion in NFL pre-game ceremonies, "Lift Every Voice and Sing" made its debut during the 2020 season and has been a consistent feature in subsequent pre-game events, reflecting the league's commitment to acknowledging and celebrating diversity.
USAToday columnist Mike Freeman noted that 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" the song's inclusion "serves a smart purpose by exposing people to a part of Black history they otherwise might not know."