Contrary to some online posts, the NFL is not singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” in place of the U.S. national anthem, better known as the “Black National Anthem.”
The two songs are approximately 20 minutes apart and will both be performed on opening day of the 2024 season.
Following the season opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens on September 5 , a post appeared on social media platforms asking: “Why is the NFL replacing our national anthem with the so-called ‘black’ national anthem?”
Reactions included comments such as: “What the heck is wrong with the NFL???” and “#BoycotttheNFL.”
However, both songs will be performed at the show, and recordings of both performances are available online.
NFL Communications Director Tim Schlittner also said in an email on Sept. 12 that both songs were performed on the same day, as seen on the live broadcast. “This has been the case since 2020 with the first game of the season and the Super Bowl,” he added.
The Chiefs website lists two performances for the Sept. 5 event , with “Lift Every Voice and Sing” scheduled for 6:55 p.m. local time and the national anthem at 7:18 p.m. On the schedule, singer Coco Jones will sing the national anthem and Tasha Cobbs will sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
The New York Times live updates page reported at 8:43 pm that the national anthem was sung by Jones.
NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” posted a clip of Jones singing the national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner” on Facebook, while Cobbs posted a clip of Jones singing the national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner” on his official Instagram page
In the early summer of 2020, amid protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, a Black man, in police custody, the NFL announced a “schedule of the season” the week before.It was decided to play the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing ” , often referred to as the “Black National Anthem”.
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Misleading. The U.S. national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” will both be played on opening day of the 2024 NFL Draft, according to a recording of the event and an NFL spokesperson.
This article was written by the Askume fact-checking team.Learn more about our fact-checking efforts .
