That’s right: To promote unity, we’re going to have two national anthems. We’d heard last July that the NFL was going to play the black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” before “The Star-Spangled Banner.” They flipped it around in Michigan in December, when they had the state’s electors stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner” first and then “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Now we’re learning that House Majority Whip James Clyburn plans to introduce a measure to make “Lift Every Voice and Sing” the national hymn to promote unity.
Activist Shaun King didn’t help things in 2016 (as usual) when he published “one of the most important things I’ve written in my entire life.” He’d uncovered the racist third verse of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which included the word slave — only in the context of the song, “slave” referred to sailors who’d be captured and conscripted by the British. Nevertheless, in 2017, the California chapter of the NAACP passed a resolution at its state conference pushing for the removal of “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the national anthem, calling it “one of the most racist, pro-slavery, anti-black songs in the American lexicon.”
So this is going to promote unity, Rep. Clyburn?
Clyburn to propose making 'Black national anthem' official US national hymn in an effort to promote unity https://t.co/mCOf8B7eAr pic.twitter.com/d2MvPVmcXi
— The Hill (@thehill) January 12, 2021
— #SicEmBears DaddiO (@GoDaddiO) January 12, 2021
Identity politics is not going to change a damn thing
— Jovan (@JovanSpinoza) January 12, 2021
Nobody asked for this. We want real substantial policy changes. A “Black National Anthem” will NOT promote unity or make our lives any better
— TheBlackPowerRanger (@ProgressOvrPrty) January 12, 2021
Nothing says unity like separation
— Wade Garrett (@xWadeGarrettx) January 12, 2021
Reaching
— Kabir (@DiMeKsTeRoY1) January 12, 2021
Identity politics is the opposite of unity.
— Undeclared Voter (@UndeclaredVoter) January 12, 2021
How does that make our other ethnic groups feel?
— Buglettes’s Mom (@Buglettesmom) January 12, 2021
JFC. Extremely bad timing.
— Ant (@MuggyAnt) January 12, 2021
I don't even know what the current national hymn is at command. Can anyone tell me?
— Rufus LaCue Jr. (@RLacue41) January 12, 2021
Not a unifying gesture at this moment @WhipClyburn
— Literary Diva (@Divashouse) January 12, 2021
— blaze obrien (@bigblaze56) January 12, 2021
This is not timely @WhipClyburn
— Coco Alexander (@bigdayra) January 12, 2021
Well, this is nonsense. First comes the wordplay of "hymn" not "anthem" to assuage the concerns of anyone fearful of a move to replace the National Anthem. Then will come a move to use our Hymn rather than the Anthem for selected events, and so on. All in the name of "unity."
— DT Connelly (@TimCon57) January 12, 2021
Out: “Separation of church and state”
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) January 12, 2021
I can only get through verse 1 of the 72 verses of our black national anthem so ummmm no pic.twitter.com/17PeVgNdmg
— Dallas Black (@dallasblack) January 12, 2021
Real solutions to real problems
— Five Million Dollar Ball (@JacketbyBerth) January 12, 2021
— ????ℍ?? (@Yishay__Majors) January 12, 2021
If it’s a religious hymn that addresses God as Creator and Grantor of Blessings and Prosperity, It would be good for kids in school. But the Supreme Court will strike it down.
— JackCitizen (@JackCitizenUS) January 12, 2021
How about America the Beautiful instead. And by Ray Charles.
— K A Salerno (@KASalerno2350) January 12, 2021
We’ll throw “America the Beautiful” into the suggestion box with “Lean on Me.”
Related:
Los Angles Times: It’s time to cancel the likely racist ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ with its ‘ornate and Anglophile’ lyrics, replace it with ‘Lean on Me’ https://t.co/hOWMlO4VlP
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) July 14, 2020
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