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Lift Every Voice and Sing
"A group of young men in Jacksonville, Florida, arranged to celebrate Lincoln's birthday in 1900. My brother, J. Rosamond Johnson, and I decided to write a song to be sung at the exercise. I wrote thewords and he wrote the music. Our New York publisher, Edward B. Marks, made mimeographed copies for us and the song was taught to and sung by a chorus of five hundred colored school children.
"Shortly afterwards my brother and I moved from Jacksonville to New York, and the song passed out of our minds. But the school children of Jacksonville kept singing it, they went off to other schools andsang it, they became teachers and taught it to other children. Within twenty years it was being sung over the South and in some other parts of the country. Today, the song, popularly known as the Negro National Hymn, isquite generally used.
"The lines of this song repay me in elation, almost of exquisite anguish, whenever I hear them sung by Negrochildren."
-James Weldon Johnson, 1935
Pasted into Bibles, schoolbooks, and hearts, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," written by J. Rosamond Johnson and James Weldon Johnson in 1900, has become one of the most beloved songs in the African American community-taught for years inschools, churches, and civic organizations. Adopted by the NAACP as its official song in the 1920s and sung throughout the civil rights movement, it is still heard today at gatherings acrossAmerica.
James Weldon Johnson's lyrics pay homage to a history of struggle but never waver from a sense of optimism for the future-"facing the rising sun of our new day begun, let usmarch on till victory is won." Its message of hope and strength has made "Lift Every Voice and Sing" a source of inspiration for generations.
In celebration of the song'scentennial, Julian Bond and Sondra Kathryn Wilson have collected one hundred essays by artists, educators, politicians, and activists reflecting on their personal experiences with the song. Also featuring photos fromhistorical archives, Lift Every Voice and Sing is a moving illustration of the African American experience in the past century.
With contributors including John Hope Franklin, Jesse Jackson, MayaAngelou, Norman Lear, Maxine Waters, and Percy Sutton, this volume is a personal tribute to the enduring power of an anthem. "Lift Every Voice and Sing" has touched the hearts of many who have heard itbecause its true aim, as Harry Belafonte explains, "isn't just to show life as it is but to show life as it should be."
"Shortly afterwards my brother and I moved from Jacksonville to New York, and the song passed out of our minds. But the school children of Jacksonville kept singing it, they went off to other schools andsang it, they became teachers and taught it to other children. Within twenty years it was being sung over the South and in some other parts of the country. Today, the song, popularly known as the Negro National Hymn, isquite generally used.
"The lines of this song repay me in elation, almost of exquisite anguish, whenever I hear them sung by Negrochildren."
-James Weldon Johnson, 1935
Pasted into Bibles, schoolbooks, and hearts, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," written by J. Rosamond Johnson and James Weldon Johnson in 1900, has become one of the most beloved songs in the African American community-taught for years inschools, churches, and civic organizations. Adopted by the NAACP as its official song in the 1920s and sung throughout the civil rights movement, it is still heard today at gatherings acrossAmerica.
James Weldon Johnson's lyrics pay homage to a history of struggle but never waver from a sense of optimism for the future-"facing the rising sun of our new day begun, let usmarch on till victory is won." Its message of hope and strength has made "Lift Every Voice and Sing" a source of inspiration for generations.
In celebration of the song'scentennial, Julian Bond and Sondra Kathryn Wilson have collected one hundred essays by artists, educators, politicians, and activists reflecting on their personal experiences with the song. Also featuring photos fromhistorical archives, Lift Every Voice and Sing is a moving illustration of the African American experience in the past century.
With contributors including John Hope Franklin, Jesse Jackson, MayaAngelou, Norman Lear, Maxine Waters, and Percy Sutton, this volume is a personal tribute to the enduring power of an anthem. "Lift Every Voice and Sing" has touched the hearts of many who have heard itbecause its true aim, as Harry Belafonte explains, "isn't just to show life as it is but to show life as it should be."
- GenresMusicNonfiction
Unbound
First published October 31, 2000
35 people want to read
About the author
Julian Bond
59 books29 followersJulian Bond was an American civil rights activist, politician and the Chairman of the NAACP 1998-2010.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 2, 2026
I really enjoyed the concept of this collection, and I was so excited I read this. But it had some problems.
Minus 1 star - I feel that the stories could have been organized differently. Having them organized alphabetically by author/person of importance was a logical choice but not a meaningful one. I would have loved to have them in timeline order, to see how the song's impact changed and grew over the last 100 years. Additionally, the included historical photos seemed randomly placed. The photos were not in any recognizable order, and had *nothing* to do with the adjacent authors or stories, which was confusing at best and occasionally shocking.
Minus 1 star - I was hoping there would be more stories and thoughts from artists, poets, or musicians. There were more than a few artistic stories and poems of response, but (in my opinion) far too many politicians given a voice. Part of that can be blamed on the time of publication (so we get Bill Clinton AND Al Gore's perspectives) but also perhaps the publisher's choices. Particularly I'm annoyed that there is a photo of Diana Ross (and The Supremes) but her story/perspective is not included.
It wasn't a terrible read, but it didn't meet my expectations.
Minus 1 star - I feel that the stories could have been organized differently. Having them organized alphabetically by author/person of importance was a logical choice but not a meaningful one. I would have loved to have them in timeline order, to see how the song's impact changed and grew over the last 100 years. Additionally, the included historical photos seemed randomly placed. The photos were not in any recognizable order, and had *nothing* to do with the adjacent authors or stories, which was confusing at best and occasionally shocking.
Minus 1 star - I was hoping there would be more stories and thoughts from artists, poets, or musicians. There were more than a few artistic stories and poems of response, but (in my opinion) far too many politicians given a voice. Part of that can be blamed on the time of publication (so we get Bill Clinton AND Al Gore's perspectives) but also perhaps the publisher's choices. Particularly I'm annoyed that there is a photo of Diana Ross (and The Supremes) but her story/perspective is not included.
It wasn't a terrible read, but it didn't meet my expectations.
August 29, 2014
Fine reflections from a wide variety of leaders on the meaning of Lift Every Voice and Sing in their lives - and ours.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews