This year’s Super Bowl featured a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing”—commonly referred to as “the black national anthem”—before “The Star-Spangled Banner.” For our latest subscriber-only Q&A session, a reader asked what we thought of this decision. In short, we both thought it was a profound error. It might have been appropriate in 1960, but this is 2024. It’s time to move past the black-white binary.
This clip is taken from a subscriber-only Q&A session. For access to Q&As, comments, early episodes, and a host of other benefits, click below and subscribe.
It actually saddens me. We made great strides and we almost made it. But that was then and this is now.
Alas, after 60 years, this is as good as it gets.
My feelings exactly. And after 60 years of trying to be 1, if they don't want to be 1, then take your national anthem, your separate, graduation, separate safe spaces, and I'll throw in a drinking fountain a you go on your merry way.