Remarks of Enid Krieger Regarding “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at February 22 Worship
March 4th, 2009 by Racial Justice JBFeb. 12, 2009, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, the NAACP turned 100 years old — just a few weeks after Barack Obama was sworn in as President of the United States. In the Spring of 2000 another milestone was celebrated with the publication of the book, “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, edited by Julian Bond, Chairman of the Board of the NAACP and Sondra Kathryn Wilson, the executor of James Weldon Johnson’s literary estate in celebration of the 100th birthday of the song of the same name. The book is a collection of over 100 essays by prominent African Americans offering their thoughts about the songs’ impact on them.
“Lift Every Voice and Sing”, adopted by the NAACP as “The Negro National Anthem” in 1919, was originally written as a poem. It was publicly performed in 1900 by 500 schoolchildren at the segregated Stanton School in Jacksonville, FL where James Weldon Johnson — poet, songwriter, and lawyer — was the Principal. The school was celebrating Lincoln’s birthday and Johnson wrote the words to introduce their honored guest speaker, Booker T. Washington. Five years later, the poem was set to music by John Rosamond Johnson, James’ brother, and it became a way for African Americans to demonstrate their courage, patriotism, and hope for the future.
James Weldon Johnson’s face was very familiar at the NY Headquarters of the NAACP in the 1920’s when he was the Executive Secretary. He worked alongside other well-known African Americans: W.E.B. DuBois, the editor of the organizations’ Crisis magazine and Langston Hughes, who wrote the first history of the NAACP. Julian Bond, as a young student, was also a member of the NAACP and led the activist Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He returned to the organization in 1998 as the Chairman of the board.
“Lift Every Voice and Sing”— The Negro National Anthem — was so powerful and so meaningful that by the 1920’s, copies of it could be found printed or pasted in the hymnals of black churches all across the country. You may remember that at the inaugural, Rev. Lowery began his Benediction with the words of “Lift Every Voice and Sing”. He did this as a reminder of the struggle during the Civil Rights years. This sacred song was part of the growing up experience of nearly every Black American. I myself can remember singing it as a first grader at Public School 157 in Harlem, NY. Dressed in the traditional garb for auditorium day: Navy blue pleated skirt, white middy blouse and red tie — we would first recite the Pledge of Allegiance, then we would sing the National Anthem…and then we would sing the Negro National Anthem. We didn’t understand fully what the words meant (we didn’t understand our national anthem, either), but we knew that when we got to the part —“Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us — Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us”….we had to sing out loud…with feeling and with pride.
“ Lift Every Voice and Sing” is a very appropriate hymn for Sojourners because it demonstrates our unity and solidarity. It is a reminder…and a motivator…. because in spite of how far we’ve come as a people…as a nation…even with the election of the first African American president…we are STILL on that journey toward justice and equality. So…as we continue to harvest the diversity of ALL people for the good of our community, let’s stand up and “ Lift Every Voice and Sing”.
Enid Krieger
Feb. 22, 2009