(Image: Chris Charles)
The ever-lasting spiritual song, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” has been the backbone of many Black Christian and Baptist churches throughout the years. As the “official” Black national anthem for many years, it had been brought up in many conversations in recent years as even the National Football League had announced prior to last season that the hymn would be heard before each NFL game played during the opening weekend.
Before that announcement last year, in July, two Black musicians, saxophonist Mike Phillips and pianist West Byrd, had added some soul-seasoning to the national anthem by incorporating the Negro national anthem at the beginning of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway.