#Lift every voice and sing choir full#

We must work together, supporting each other and using our collective power to create a just, fair, and equitable world for all. In these uncertain times, it is more important than ever for leaders to step up and make a difference. As leaders, we must lift our voices and sing, using our gifts and talents to inspire others, to create hope, and to ignite change. Leaders have the power to shape the future, to bring people together, and to make a positive impact. Leadership is not just about having a title or a position it is about being a role model, inspiring change, and creating a better world for all. It urges everyone to rally, stand firm, and battle for freedom and justice. The refrain 'Lift every voice and sing, until earth and heaven ring, ring with the harmonies of liberty,' delivered by the Boys Choir of Harlem, carries a call-to-action message for all those in leadership positions. Composed as a poem by James Weldon Johnson in 1900, the lyrics serve as a testament to the resilience and fortitude of the African American community. Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.'Lift Every Voice and Sing' is a stirring hymn that embodies hope and perseverance. We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered, We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,

#Lift every voice and sing choir full#

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us įacing the rising sun of our new day begun,įelt in the days when hope unborn had died Ĭome to the place for which our fathers died. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, It has since been incorporated into several sporting events, including NASCAR and the NFL, where it has been performed since 2021 as part of the ever-popular Super Bowl event which marks the end of the American football season.Īlicia Keys - Lift Every Voice and Sing Performance What are the lyrics to ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’? In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 and the ensuing protests and demonstrations held nationwide and echoed across the globe, the hymn received further public attention. Lyrics from the song were also incorporated into Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration ceremony by the Reverend Joseph Lowery, and in 2018 Beyoncé sang the hymn during her ground-breaking headline performance at the Coachella music festival in California. Acclaimed writer Maya Angelou recalled it being sung during her eighth-grade graduation ceremony in her 1969 autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and James Brown quoted lyrics from the song as part of his performance of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ ahead of the historic boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner in 1975, which inspired the film Rocky the following year. The last century has seen an abundance of significant appearances for the hymn. Stevie Wonder Performs The Star Spangled Banner As Jon Batiste, leader of the band Stay Human, has said, the hymn “connects us to the history of all the people who we stand on the shoulders of – who have marched and fought and died for the freedoms we enjoy and that we’re trying to improve upon.” ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ has a historical and meaningful place in the hearts of many Black Americans. With lyrics that speak of faith and freedom, paying homage to the endurances of their ancestors, the hymn is a hopeful look to a future of equality. The song slipped from the Johnson brothers’ memories after they moved across the country to New York, but Black communities in the South continued to sing the hymn and share it with others, and it rapidly gained popularity.Īround 20 years later, the NAACP began to promote the hymn as ‘the Black national anthem’ and it was widely used as a rallying cry during the Civil Rights Movement in America throughout the 1950s and 60s. It was taught to 500 school children in Jacksonville, Florida, who sang it at the birthday celebrations. Rosamond Johnson, the pair initially wrote the song in 1900 to celebrate the birthday of the late 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. With words by the American writer and civil rights activist James Weldon Johnson, and music written by his brother J. What is the history behind ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’? Rosamond Johnson (left) with singer Taylor Gordon.