On Sunday night, before the 49ers opted for first possession during overtime, before Dre Greenlaw fell and busted his Achilles, before Travis Kelce body-checked his coach, before even the opening kickoff, the world had already witnessed the most controversial moment of Super Bowl LVIII.
To start the whole evening off, actress and R&B singer Andra Day performed a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a song that has lately been referred to as the “Black National Anthem.” The song was written by James Weldon Johnson approximately 100 years ago…but it’s found a whole new life in the 21st Century.
With the media providing fawning coverage, the radically divisive decision didn’t even register on most people’s radar. Most people were too busy grabbing buffalo wings at the time, and anyone who
did notice likely stayed seated. As an American, you’re well aware that that’s not the anthem you stand up for.
But if you dare to disagree with the mainstreaming of an alternative national anthem, you’ll likely be told to educate yourself. After all, it’s not like it’s officially the “Black National Anthem”…but then again, it might as well be, so don’t you dare downplay it either.
“Lift Every Voice and Sing,” therefore, is equal parts “not a big deal” and “a historic cultural moment.” Good luck figuring that one out.
So, it’s racist if you don’t support it…but if you’re not Black, don’t be too enthusiastic in your support because it’s actually not for you, Becky! Confused yet?
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Major sportswriters have helped shape the pro-alt-anthem narrative, including Carron J. Phillips of Deadspin, who was upset that the NFL played the tried-and-true “Star-Spangled Banner” at all considering how superior the new “Black Anthem” is.
“The NFL actually thinks the best way to honor victims of systemic racism is to play black America’s most sacred song before it plays a national anthem that was written by a slave owner that’s full of racist lyrics,” she wrote in an op-ed before the game.
These “racist lyrics” she references are found in the third verse of “The Star-Spangled Banner” (which no one’s ever heard or sung since it’s not included in the anthem), in which Francis Scott Key says the word “slave.” Of course, that’s a word that’s been used to describe members of every single people group on earth at one time or another, regardless of pigmentation. Indeed, no race or culture has escaped the institution of slavery—and the word “slave” itself actually comes to us from the root word Slav, as in the Slavic people of Europe.
In their blind pursuit of woke social justice, leftists fail to reveal the full story: slavery neither started in the United States nor ended there, and it still exists in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to this day.
Critics of the new musical offering say, “We already have a national anthem that perfectly represents our unified nation. While we may have different backgrounds, experiences, and struggles, it provides an opportunity to put that aside and momentarily unite for 90 seconds, giving thanks to the Red, White & Blue.”
Many also point out that “Lift Every Voice & Sing” is a bad song in general. In fact, I’d swear I overheard one guy in the stadium say something along the lines of “I don’t know man, it just doesn’t slap.”
Simply put, this song could use a lot of work before it’s ready for prime time. The arrogance to think it could replace the one we currently have is astounding.
Related: Super Bowl LVIII Rivals Moon Landing as Most-Watched TV Broadcast in US History
To add insult to injury, the wealthy and privileged Andra Day proclaimed in a People Magazine interview that she looks forward to a day when we have a “universal anthem that represents everyone.”
“I’m looking forward to the day that the Black national anthem, or anthems that represent other people, or a universal anthem that represents everyone,” said Day. “Where everyone feels represented and loved is not such a conversation, but it is the future’s norm.”
Of course, I contend that that anthem already exists.
Instead of reinventing the wheel and reintroducing segregation, let’s give “The Star-Spangled Banner” its due. After all, it’s more than a song. It represents our nation’s fights for freedom and glory, a rich history that allows us to sit around and watch multi-millionaires play football on our day off.
The desire to discredit our national anthem curiously comes at a time when we’re also encouraged to believe that our borders don’t matter, gender is made up, police need to be defunded to keep our communities safe, and Mar-A-Lago is worth only $18 million.
So, who is behind all this division?
Our relatively young nation has generated unprecedented success for the widest range of people in human history. In one generation, a citizen of the USA can go from rags to riches, from ashy to classy, from an outhouse to a penthouse. But even still, there are many groups committed to bringing us down.
Thanks to the Second Amendment and a long-running Wild West attitude, the USA was never going to be taken by invaders. This country’s downfall would have to come from within…and so those who hate us made their way into our society.
For decades, racial conflict has been introduced at every opportunity, but the heat gets turned up every time a Republican takes power.
Did you notice how the social unrest has calmed with Biden in office but was at a fever pitch the entire time Trump was there? Has Biden done anything to solve racism in the last three years? Are the police healed of all their so-called racism? Did the NFL writing “END RACISM” in the end zones finally pay off? Or was the racism they wanted to solve never there to begin with?
Divided we fall.
The idea is that we’re all equal here…but if one group needs its own national anthem, it’s a short slide into mandating separate water fountains and bathrooms too.
If we don’t stop caving into these cultural trends, this might be the statement that proceeds Super Bowl 2025:
Or we could just avoid all that, put the idea of individual anthems in the trash where it belongs, accept that we are one nation on the same team, and simply PLAY BALL!
Kevan “K-von” Moezzi creates hilarious content for Valuetainment Comedy and is the host of The Right Show. He also tours the nation as a standup comedian. Follow K-von on X (Twitter).
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