Subscribe‘Black National Anthem’ Sung In Denver
From The Denver Post:
"Black national anthem" causes stir at Hick speech
By Christopher N. Osher
07/02/2008As Denver dignitaries gathered Tuesday for Mayor John Hickenlooper’s State of the City address, City Council President Michael Hancock introduced singer Rene Marie to perform the national anthem.
But that’s not what she did.
Instead, Marie performed the song "Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing," which also is known as the "black national anthem."
When she finished, the proceedings moved forward, and the "Star-Spangled Banner" was never performed.
Councilman Charlie Brown took to local talk radio Tuesday afternoon to blast the lack of the nation’s anthem at the proceedings.
"There’s no replacement for the national anthem," Brown said. "They should have sung it."
"I was surprised," said Hancock, who said he thought Marie should have cleared her plans with the mayor’s office in advance. By Tuesday afternoon he had received several telephone calls from citizens and the media. "But you go on with the show."
Hickenlooper said in a statement: "We were as surprised as anyone that jazz singer René Marie did not sing our national anthem at Tuesday’s State of the City ceremony, as our staff had requested. As I listened to her sing, I assumed she would eventually move into the traditional Star Spangled Banner. I called her personally this (Tuesday) afternoon to understand what happened. She explained her song was an artistic expression of her love for her country. She said she meant no disrespect of any kind and that her song was in no way intended to be a political statement. She apologized for any problems she may have created.
"I’m disappointed that this matter has been a distraction from the great work and significant accomplishments of our City employees over the past year and the many important initiatives on tap for the coming year.
The Democrats sure picked the right place to hold their convention.
But just think how conflicted Mr. Obama will be if this happens again.
Here is one version the lyrics, in case you don’t already know them:
Lift Every Voice and Sing
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.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet,
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered;
Out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.God of our weary years, God of our silent tears,
Thou Who hast brought us thus far on the way;
Thou Who hast by Thy might, led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee.
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee.
Shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand,
True to our God, true to our native land.
You can find the instrumental accompaniment here, in case you want to sing along.
(Thanks to the ever-watchful BillK, who posted an earlier article about this in the "Selected News" thread.)
17 Responses to “‘Black National Anthem’ Sung In Denver”
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July 2nd, 2008 at 1:53 pm
OH Say, Can You See? evidently, this country is full of people who can’t.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Looks like another ear-splittin’ performance. That’s obnoxiuos.
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Why didn’t someone interupt her and inform her that she was belting out the wrong song? It’s super easy to hit the mute button on a sound system!
July 2nd, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Gad…just gad.
July 2nd, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Retired_Chief - she said she did it on purpose and would do the same again. No “mistake” involved.
I posted a lengthy message on this here:
What the articles on the issue have failed to expand upon is Denver’s Mayor John Hickenlooper, a darling of the left and the upcoming DNC (recall he’s the one that declared the 2008 DNC will be the “greenest convention ever“) stated in an interview:
Why would she “apologize profusely” if she did it on purpose and, more importantly, would do it again?
July 2nd, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Why apologize profusely for something she doesn’t regret and wouldn’t have changed. Pity that in some peoples minds we are really two nations… or three… or four even. Hell, probably more. Depends on what your “cause” is.
But let just one southern city play “Dixie” at a public function, either at a game or a public venue, and watch the hell get raised.
July 2nd, 2008 at 5:56 pm
This country is full if people who can’t see and who won’t see, Sheehanjihad. For some there can never be enough retribution. Zimbabwe is drowning in retribution right now.
July 2nd, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Is that an asshat she’s wearing or is it her hairdo?
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:03 pm
I’m not sure, 1RS. Looks kinda butch to me.
I didn’t notice before, but who’s the dude with his hand over his heart for this non-anthemn?
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Good observation, Lurkin, I think he’s up to one of two things: either he’s shocked and never had a chance to lower his hand OR he’s an elected official that needs Denver’s black vote to carry on another term…..
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:09 am
Anyone ever forced to stand for the “black national anthem” when they were in school during black history week? What a great time that was. I still remember my feeling of shame, & will never stand for anything else than my COUNTRY’S National Anthem.
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:00 am
No surprise whatsoever, but her “friends” support her; from the (Denver) Rocky Mountain News:
Meanwhile, Denver’s Mayor is backpedaling, hard:
Personally, I don’t buy Hickenlooper’s claim of “deceit”; he just got caught.
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:30 am
Does anyone think this would have happened if BHO weren’t the nominee? If he is elected, people had better get used to this sort of militant behavior.
July 3rd, 2008 at 11:44 am
I can’t manage to post anymore without going into an emotional rage. It is just so damn depressing to watch this country go down without a fight. There’s nothing our internal enemies can’t do that any lame excuse will allow them to get away with.
That ungrateful bag of garbage should have been unplugged immediately and if there were any real Americans in the audience (those who are grateful for all the sacrifices made to secure their freedom) she would have been pelted with tomatoes.
The song says, “True to our God, true to our native land”.
I’d spend my last dollar to send Ms. Marie back to her native land.
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:19 pm
I imagine the invitation was similar to the following:
“Would you please do the ‘honor’ of singing the National Anthem?”
“Of course, I’d be delighted.”
But I guess in her mind, there is only one and it’s the Black National Anthem.
Most people want equal rights for all, wish for all to prosper, and to be happy. They have been willing to support programs to accomplish these goals. However, thanks to Obama and his circus of friends, many have had a rude awakening to how much white people and their culture are deeply hated. Not a passing kind of distaste, but a radical, call-to-action kind of revolution. Is that the change that Obama speaks of?
While many in the white community have been reaching out and trying to put racism behind them, it was seemingly a one-sided effort. Hate-filled political sermons, anti-American sentiments, distortion of Christianity and it’s basic tenants, and utter disgust for anyone not “of color.” That’s a shock and a surprise to many, I suspect.
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Her decision to sing the “black national anthem” instead of our National Anthem is blatantly racist. The very definition of putting your race over all others is racist according to the rules of the minority activists. She is guilty of substituting her own song in lieu of the song she was supposed to sing.
If there was any pride to it, she would have told the organizers up front she planned to sing her own song instead of the Star Spangled Banner, but she knew she would be axed in a heartbeat if she did.
But, she also knew that there was absolutely nobody in any political capacity who would have the courage to stop her, or condemn her racist behavior, and that gave her the freedom to do what she did. The religion of political correctness protected her from any negative response…..publically that is.
The democrat convention being held in the same city that embraces such actions will be a huge indication of what we all can expect when they gain total dominance in Washington this fall….
But, I take heart in knowing that the American people, the REAL American people will rise up in a huge voice of dissent once they realize just how far this will go, and they will stop these miscreants who have successfully ruined a great country in their bid for power.
What kills me is anyone who says anything about what this woman did is labeled a racist immediately, even though her actions were more racist that the complaint of a person deciding what our National Anthem should be.
It’s like asking someone to bring ice cream to a party, and they show up with corn flakes because that’s what they like and what they want, and to hell with you.
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:15 pm
I agree that this is just an indication of Denver for the Convention and worse America when Obamanation takes office. . .
I hope that American citizens wake-up and do the right thing or America is not going to have to worry about the terrorists or globalists (or global warming) as it will be destroyed from within. . .
How dare she, not only racist - but arrogant of this petty, bigoted woman to do what she deems to -’express themselves artistically’. She was not there for a performance in the artistic sense - she was asked to perform a specific song. So she is not only racist, arrogant, petty and bigoted - she is too stupid to even realize what she was asked to do.