Actress and singer Vanessa Williams has been tapped to perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the “black national anthem,” at the 41st annual A Capitol Fourth televised celebration on PBS.
Williams stated to the Associated Press that, “It’s in celebration of the wonderful opportunity that we now have to celebrate Juneteenth. So we are reflective of the times”. Her performance will be honoring both the nation’s independence day and Juneteenth, which was just recently made a Federal Holiday by President Biden. A holiday that has been mainly observed in the African-American community.
The poem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was written by organization leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900 and was later arranged into music and a melody by his brother, John Rosamond Johnson.
Per PBS Black Culture Connection, Many people are surprised to learn that “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was first written as a poem. Created by James Weldon Johnson, it was performed for the first time by 500 school children in celebration of President Lincoln’s Birthday on February 12, 1900 in Jacksonville, FL. The poem was set to music by Johnson’s brother, John Rosamond Johnson, and soon adopted by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) as its official song. Today “Lift Every Voice and Sing” is one of the most cherished songs of the African American Civil Rights Movement and is often referred to as the Black National Anthem.
The broadcast will be featuring pre-recorded and performances from different locations across the United States due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Check out where to watch by visiting www.pbs.org/a-capitol-fourth
