"Lift Every Voice and Sing" is a hymn originally written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson in 1899 and set to music by his brother John Rosamond Johnson. It was first performed publicly in 1900 by 500 schoolchildren at the Stanton School in Jacksonville, Florida, where James Weldon Johnson was principal, during a celebration of President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday
. The song is often referred to as the "Black National Anthem" because it eloquently expresses the African American experience, particularly the struggle from slavery through the era of Jim Crow laws toward freedom and equality. Its lyrics serve as a prayer of thanksgiving to God, a call for faithfulness, and a hopeful plea for liberty and justice, drawing on biblical imagery such as the Exodus from slavery to the promised land
. The hymn reflects on the painful history of oppression ("Stony the road we trod, Bitter the chastening rod") while affirming resilience, faith, and unity in the ongoing fight for civil rights. It became a rallying cry during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s and continues to be a symbol of strength, hope, and pride in the Black community today
. In summary, "Lift Every Voice and Sing" is about the African American journey from suffering and struggle to hope, freedom, and perseverance, expressed through faith and solidarity as they march toward victory and equality
