NFL fans are calling for a Super Bowl boycott after it was confirmed that the ‘black national anthem’ will be performed ahead of Sunday’s game.
The Kansas City Chiefs go head-to-head with the Philadelphia Eagles at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans this weekend and just as excitement was beginning to build, controversy has followed the announcement that ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ will be sung during the pre-game festivities.
<cs-card “=”” =”card-outer card-full-size ” card-fill-color=”#FFFFFF” card-secondary-color=”#E1E1E1″ gradient-angle=”112.05deg” id=”native_ad_inarticle-1-bb87c49f-db1c-46d7-a606-9ac0f41d1393″ size=”_2x_1y” part=””>
Maaltijdbezorging | Zoek advertentiesUrk: Eten voor senioren thuisbezorgd (Bestel vandaag)
Ad
The song has long been a staple of the NFL’s end-of-season showpiece but has become a major talking point in recent years, especially given ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ is already performed ahead of the game.
Nonetheless, Grammy Award-winning artist Ledisi is set to deliver the song before Jon Batiste belts out the official national anthem on Sunday. Yet the decision to include it once more has sparked fresh calls for a Super Bowl boycott among NFL fans.
Outraged supporters are now declaring that they will not be tuning in to watch the game because of the inclusion of the ‘black national anthem,’ with many struggling to understand its need given ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ is already part of proceedings.
<cs-card “=”” =”card-outer card-full-size ” card-fill-color=”#FFFFFF” card-secondary-color=”#E1E1E1″ gradient-angle=”112.05deg” id=”native_ad_inarticle-2-82c9f740-0193-4582-aeaa-4978ed0bf6af” size=”_2x_1y” part=””>
Sponsored CollectionsWrap Around Sunglasses
Ad
One furious user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote: “As if we needed another reason to not watch the damn game.” A second person expressed their distaste, saying: “No other sports league tries to force a “Black National Anthem” down peoples’ throats.”
Meanwhile, a third fan posted: “I haven’t watched football ever since they started disrespecting the National Anthem. And there is no such thing as a Black National Anthem.”
Donald Trump made headlines on Tuesday by announcing his attendance at the Superdome in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX, making him the first sitting President to partake in the Super Bowl celebrations. The 47th president was present for Super Bowl XXVI in 1992, while he watched the New York Jets face the Pittsburgh Steelers back in October.
<cs-card “=”” =”card-outer card-full-size ” card-fill-color=”#FFFFFF” card-secondary-color=”#E1E1E1″ gradient-angle=”112.05deg” id=”native_ad_inarticle-3-4b8d1340-5b65-4d7a-9987-47ec50a2c390″ size=”_2x_1y” part=””>
Fisher InvestmentsHow Long Does $1 Million Last After 60?
Ad
The NFL has consistently been at the center of political discourse, from 49ers icon Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem in 2016 to athletes performing ‘the Trump dance’ amid the bustling 2024 election campaign.
At the 2023 Super Bowl LVII, Kari Lake, a Republican politician and staunch Trump supporter, sparked controversy by refusing to stand for the black anthem. Post-game, she took to social media, stating: “I’m just here for THE National Anthem.”
With Trump set to attend this year’s Eagles-Chiefs face-off in New Orleans, all eyes are on his reaction to the performance of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,’ which was penned by James Weldon Johnson in 1899 as a poem before eventually becoming a song.
Andra Day’s rendition at last year’s Super Bowl faced significant pushback from MAGA followers and Republicans alike. Florida’s Matt Gaetz shared a conversation with his wife on Twitter, declaring he’d skip the show because “They’re desecrating America’s National Anthem by playing something called the ‘Black National Anthem’.”
Conservative pundit Megyn Kelly chimed in, arguing that “the so-called Black National Anthem does not belong at the Super Bowl. We already have a National Anthem and it includes EVERYONE.” New York representative Democrat Ritchie Torres, however, stated that “The Black National Anthem – “Lift Every Voice and Sing” – has been a part of our Nation’s history since the early 20th century. The erasure of African American history as American history is a form of racism that runs deep on the far right.”
