Vanessa Williams Sings ‘Black National Anthem’ at ‘A Capitol Fourth’ Event, Ruffles Feathers
“We have one National Anthem,” writes one Twitter user about choice of music for Sunday’s PBS special
Alex Noble | July 3, 2021 @ 6:19 PM
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Vanessa Williams’ performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” alongside “The Star-Spangled Banner” at PBS’ annual “A Capitol Fourth” celebration has rubbed many on social media the wrong way, as the song is widely known as the “Black national anthem.”
As news of the pre-recorded performance hit Twitter on Saturday, people began to blast the upcoming special as “racist” and promoting “segregationism.” Specifically, many took the use of the phrase “Black national anthem” in The Hill’s coverage of the event to mean that the 4th of July will no longer represent all Americans.
Is Vanessa Williams biracial?
Williams, who basked in the limelight as the star of Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives , self-identifies as African-American. Her slated performance of the Black national anthem caused many fans and critics to wonder about her ethnicity, with thousands of Google queries about her blue eyes, and whether or not she is Black, White or biracial.
According to author Ben Arogundade, Williams was born with light skin, straight hair, and blue eyes. This caused the public to wonder how the film and music celebrity could be referred to as Black. Born in Millwood, New York, on March 18, 1963, Williams parents are former high school music teachers Helen and Milton Williams, who reportedly have a mix of African and European heritage.
Vanessa Williams to sing Black national anthem for Capitol Fourth celebration thehill.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thehill.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Rev. Lewis W. Macklin
Juneteenth is now a federal holiday that has been long celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in America.
The holiday was first recognized in Galveston Texas, where on that date in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, enslaved people received the notification that they were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.
While we celebrate and commemorate, let’s commit to educate and enlighten ourselves as to the importance of this new national holiday. On the occasion of Juneteenth, please enjoy the Hairspray’s rendition “I Know Where I ve Been” performed by Cliffe College of Creative Arts & DANA School of Music at Youngstown State University’s Jaron LeGrair and Voices of YSU accompanied by Jack Ciarniello.
Lift Every Voice: Lessons from their legacies middletownpress.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from middletownpress.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.