‘Black National Anthem’ Sung In Denver

From The Denver Post:

"Black national anthem" causes stir at Hick speech

By Christopher N. Osher
07/02/2008

As 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 of 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.)