Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing 125th Anniversary
Today we celebrate the 125th Anniversary of “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing”, written by our namesake James Weldon Johnson.
Set to music by Johnson’s brother, John Rosamond Johnson, the song was performed for the first time by 500 school children in celebration of President Lincoln’s Birthday on February 12, 1900, in Jacksonville, FL., and was soon adopted by the NAACP as its official song. Today “Lift Ev’ry 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.
Join us today in James Weldon Johnson Park during lunchtime for food trucks and a live performance of Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing by Joe Watts at noon.
