Photo credits: FPG / Getty Images
In the early 20th century, James Weldon Johnson (pictured) crafted the words to the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which was performed during a commemorative Abraham Lincoln birthday celebration.
On February 12, 1900, Johnson was attending this celebration while he created the lyrical content for his song. The composition was later recorded. Johnson’s song words were backed by music that was composed by his brother, J. Rosamond, who was also a musician. At the Jacksonville, Florida-based celebration, 500 children sang the song for the first time.
As time progressed in American history, the song was eventually referred to as the “Negro National Anthem.”
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