Lift Every Voice and Sing: The black national anthem born from a birthday party
Written by Black Hot Fire Network on June 20, 2023
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The 1900 song – originally written as a tribute to former US President Abraham Lincoln – has endured to become the US black national anthem and a powerful symbol, writes Juan Benn Jr.
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Twice a day, the air surrounding Howard University's Washington, DC campus rings with a freedom song.
Tucked away on a hilltop, removed from DC's busy streets, sits Founders Library – an academic landmark home to the world's largest archive of records on the black experience. Around lunchtime, the melody of alma mater of . . .
