Lift Every Voice and Sing
USA Lyrics
Lift every voice and sing
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
History and Meaning
Often referred to as the 'Black National Anthem', this was written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson in 1900. His brother, John Rosamond Johnson, composed the music, and the hymn was first publicly performed by a choir of 500 schoolchildren at the segregated Stanton School in Jacksonville, Florida, in February 1900 for a celebration of Abraham Lincoln's birthday. In 1919, the NAACP officially adopted it as the "Negro national anthem," and it has since become a staple in Black social life, performed at churches, civil rights rallies, and significant cultural events as a symbol of resilience and a powerful call for justice.