Since 2021, pregame ceremonies for football’s biggest night have included a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a hymn penned in 1899 by James Weldon Johnson. Mr. Johnson was a civil rights ...

GREAT BARRINGTON — It is a hymn once sung by Black servicemen on the war front, but is now a staple of pregame Super Bowl ceremonies — sparking controversy for some and feelings of resilience for ...

"Lift Every Voice and Sing" is a hymn with lyrics written by James Weldon Johnson. The hymn is also known as "The Black National Anthem." According to the NAACP, where Johnson served as executive ...