The Florida lawmaker, Matt Gaetz, shared an interesting post on X, where he confirmed he would not be watching the Super Bowl because they were “desecrating America’s National Anthem by playing something called the “Black National Anthem.'”
Same issue, different far-right lawmaker
In 2023, Lauren Boebert, Colorado’s lawmaker, shared on X, “America only has ONE NATIONAL ANTHEM.” She added, “Why is the NFL trying to divide us by playing multiple!? Do football, not wokeness.” This was during last year’s Super Bowl when “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was performed by Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Hannity blasted the song in 2021
Sean Hannity wrote ahead of the 2021 game, “DEMS DESTROY FUN: Why do the Dems have to inject politics into sports? The NFL is playing the ‘Black national anthem’ & the Olympic committee is redesigning its flag logo. We already have a flag & an anthem!”
Matt Gaetz’s turn
Gaetz took to X to share an exchange between him and his wife, “Wife: Today is the Super Bowl! Me: We aren’t watching. Wife: Why? Me: They’re desecrating America’s National Anthem by playing something called the ‘Black National Anthem.’ Wife: Does that mean Cardi is performing?”
Behind the song that became Black National Anthem
Written three decades before “The Star-Spangled Banner, “the composition “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was composed by civil rights activist and NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson. Johnson wrote the lyrics, and his brother, John Rosamond Johnson, wrote the music. The composition, composed around 1900, gained popularity during the Civil Rights Movement in the 50s and the 60s.
The song’s rise in recent years
“Lift Every Voice and Sing” began playing before NFL games in 2020, with the league explaining it was working to “amplify work done by its players and the families who are trying to address social justice issues.” This was during the BLM protests following the killing of George Floyd.
NFL’s Troy Vincent on the Black Anthem
Vincent said in 2020 that the song “has encouraged generations of Black people that God will lead us to the promises of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.” He added, “It’s as pertinent in today’s environment as it was when it was written.”
It was also performed on the Fourth of July
In 2021, on the Fourth of July, Vanessa Williams performed the song on PBS’ A Capitol Fourth, which she also hosted. The model, actress, and singer told AP at the time, “It’s in celebration of the wonderful opportunity that we now have to celebrate Juneteenth. So we are reflective of the times.”
Many Republicans were furious
Following Williams’ performance, Lavern Spicer, a Republican, wrote on then-Twitter, “Vanessa honey, a BLACK national anthem is something a Black African Country would have, not a country like America that exists for everyone.”
“There is no black America”
Carmine Sabia, a conservative writer, shared in 2021, “This is ridiculous. There is no black America. There is no ‘Black National Anthem’ as there is not a black nation. There is one nation under God. Everything this woke culture does is something to divide us. I will not be watching as you create racism.”
It was suggested to become a national anthem
James Clyburn, South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District representative, filed a bill in 2021 seeking to make “Lift Every Voice and Sing” a national anthem. The proposed legislation reminded that “In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt named James Weldon Johnson to diplomatic positions in Venezuela and Nicaragua, and when he returned to the United States, he became affiliated with the NAACP.”
Tough Super Bowl for many Republicans
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, the latest MAGA enemy, kissed after his team, the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers. This is the third ring for Kelce, and he was cheered by his parents, brother, sister-in-law, Swift, and her parents.
Ramaswamy’s wild theory
Weeks before the Super Bowl, Vivek Ramaswamy shared on X, “I wonder who’s going to win the Super Bowl next month,” adding, And I wonder if there’s a major presidential endorsement coming from an artificially culturally propped-up couple this fall. Just some wild speculation over here, let’s see how it ages over the next 8 months.”
Biden trolled MAGA
Biden wrote on X, “Just like we drew it up,” next to a photo of “Dark Brandon,” with lasers shooting out of the President’s eyes. MSNBC host Joe Scarborough commented, “This is, of course, mocking all the MAGA, ultra-MAGA freaks that were saying that this was all rigged from the very beginning, and then this is him mocking the snowflakes.”
“Deviously plotting”
The Biden campaign also joined TikTok, where the President was asked: “Deviously plotting to rig the season so the Chiefs would make the Super Bowl or the Chiefs being just a good football team?” He joked, “I’d get in trouble if I told you.”
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