The song “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” affectionately known as the Black National Anthem, has graced most major sporting events since 2020, and it will once again be performed when the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. According to CBS News, Grammy Award-winning artist Ledisi is set to perform the song, which has held significant meaning for over a century. A 15-time Grammy nominee, Ledisi has won a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Anything For You” and has showcased her talent at prestigious venues such as The White House, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center, as CBS News reported.
Featuring in 42 different Christian hymnals, the song references the biblical Exodus and symbolizes the journey from slavery to liberation in the “promised land,” making it deeply significant within the Black community—particularly in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by police officer Derek Chauvin. Written by James Weldon Johnson in 1899, the piece emerged as a poem honoring President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. This will not be the first occasion for the song at an NFL event; it has been performed at the last three Super Bowls. Alicia Keys presented a pre-recorded version prior to the 2021 Super Bowl, followed by Mary Mary performing outside SoFi Stadium at Super Bowl LVI, and Andra Day’s performance last year before the Super Bowl.
Additionally, the song was played before the 2021 NFL Draft and featured again to kick off the NFL season in September. Prior to the game, the “Star-Spangled Banner” will also be performed by New Orleans native Jon Batiste, who will deliver his rendition of the national anthem.
