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Black National Anthem replaces the National Anthem at Denver Event
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by politisite | July 2, 2008 at 11:20 am
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Black National Anthem replaces the National Anthem at Denver Event
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A jazz singer shocked some Denver residents after replacing the words to the national anthem with those of the "Black National Anthem" during the annual State of the City address this week.
While the words are rather uplifting, many at the event think it was innapropriate to replace the words of the National Anthem with that of another song. Some have also taken an issue with the last line of the song, "True to our native land" as these words may refer to Africa rather than America. The singer later appologized for the act to the Mayor. Later when confronted by Denver news crews recanted her appology.
See the Video of the event Here
Rene Marie was asked to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper delivered the annual address on Tuesday. Instead, she sang the lyrics of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" — a hymn commonly referred to as the "Black National Anthem" — to the tune of the national anthem, MyFOXColorado.com reported.
"If anyone has got a right to be angry it's probably me," Hickenlooper told the station. "I guess what I feel most is just deeply disappointed."
The mayor said only Marie, her husband and a musical adviser knew what the local jazz singer had in mind.
"What she said was that she was very sorry, that she meant no disrespect, that she was trying to make a creative expression of her love for the country," Hickenlooper said.
But the change in lyrics angered many residents, including City Councilman Charlie Brown.
"I was mad," he told MyFOXColorado.com. "I almost walked off the stage."
Brown said the matter needs to be addressed. "There is no substitute for the national anthem."
Here are the Lyrics
LIFT EV'RY VOICE AND SING
also known as "The Black National Anthem"
by James Weldon Johnson
Lift ev'ry voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring.
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise,
High as the list'ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.
Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chast'ning rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet,
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might,
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee,
Shadowed beneath thy hand,
May we forever stand,
True to our God,
True to our native land. (Source: The Black Network)
This is what the singer said before singing the song
"I wanted to express how I felt about living in this country as a black woman," Marie said.Once she finished performing, there was a moment of awkward silence and then the crowd gave her mild applause. Marie said she understood why the audience was confused, since the song sounded familiar but the lyrics were different."Art is supposed to make you think," Marie told 7NEWS.Some people were offended and others, including the mayor, were caught off guard."She was making an artistic expression in a ceremonial role, so obviously, that is inappropriate," Mayor John Hickenlooper said.
State of the Anthem: outrage: Comments from people who were at the event
Her performance evoked angry reactions among some of the estimated 700 people at the event.
"There is no substitute for the national anthem. Period," Councilman Charlie Brown said.
"This is the State of the City address. It's not an NAACP convention," he said, referring to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Hickenlooper and his staff said they expected Marie to sing the "The Star-Spangled Banner" and that they were surprised when she sang something different.
In a statement late Tuesday, Hickenlooper said: "I'm disappointed that this matter has been a distraction from the great work and significant accomplishments of our city employees over the past year and the many important initiatives on tap for the coming year."
Hickenlooper said in an interview that he spoke to Marie after the ceremony and that she apologized profusely.
The mayor also said that Marie told him she meant no disrespect.
What Others are Saying
Obama’s Definition of New Patriotism on Display in Denver «
She Can’t Be Serious…(part 2 in a series) | Denver Metblogs
NEWS & OPINION ROUNDUP (2 JULY 2008) THE "BLACK NATIONAL ANTHEM" EDITION | Democrat=Socialist
Patriotism in Denver: Black national anthem
Patriotism in Denver: Black national anthemBy Michelle Malkin
Out: The Star-Spangled Banner.
In: The Black National Anthem.
Racial separatism at an official government gathering.
Hey, it’s “art!”
Obama: Singer should have sung national anthem
DENVER (Map, News) - Barack Obama says there's only one national anthem, and a Denver jazz performer should have sung it when she was asked to, instead of another song sometimes called the black national anthem.
Rene Marie set off a wave of criticism when she sang the words to "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" instead of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before a city function this week.
Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, told the Rocky Mountain News on Thursday that "Lift Ev'ry Voice" is a beautiful song but Marie should have stuck with the national anthem.
Obama made his comments while en route to North Dakota after a campaign stop in Colorado Springs on Wednesday.
The Politisite Bottom Line:
While Ms. Marie tried to tie the words of theBlack National Anthem with the Music of the National Anthem and meant no disrespect to America or Americans, the attempt at an artistic rendering of emotions felt for America was misplaced. The National Anthem has little to do with art and much more to do with Patriotism. There is no replacement for this song at a public event or governmental address.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (22)
at 11:42 on July 2nd, 2008
This singularly, individual attempt at a 'creative tribute' definitely should not have been 'sprung' on an unsuspecting crowd.
at 12:01 on July 2nd, 2008
Karen, that is my main point. The time and place is the issue. I read the lyrics and my wife gave me a history lesson (she has a Masters in Music and Recording Artist) She even sang it it to me. The problem is that the right, who like to exaggerate as you can see by the links, will run with it and some how tie it in with Obama. Thanks for your comments
at 12:34 on July 2nd, 2008
I agree, did not Roseanne butcher your National Anthem at a Ball Game as well? People should stick to the program, improv is for Comedians, and usually the audience is forewarned and knows what to expect when attending. Politicking and playing a song, no matter how nice, but to do it to fill one's personal agenda smacks of self serving interest, that perhaps the rest of the audience did not come to hear.
at 11:49 on July 2nd, 2008
There could well have been a way to make this work, but, as noted above, the element of surprise was not a beneficial factor.
at 11:53 on July 2nd, 2008
politisite, I like this story. It's good stuff.
I agree with Karen that this seems a bit extreme.
Its too bad the singer choose this forum for her expression because the idea sounds good. I'd like to hear it.
at 12:02 on July 2nd, 2008
It is a good song.
at 12:29 on July 2nd, 2008
What does that song have to do with the price of rice? Now everyone who has a gripe can disrespect the National Anthem by lying and forcing people to sit there and listen to something that had nothing to do with the event? Its a good song? what does that have to do with anything. What if everyone decided to do the same? It was a selfish act that showed disrespect to America and Americans. Maybe Muslims can do the same Latinos too, Koreans have had it hard here also. Why don't we just trash the National Anthem and sing whatever maybe a madonna song.
at 13:21 on July 2nd, 2008
Take a deep breath.... let it out... breath again LOL
at 16:31 on July 2nd, 2008
I'm breathing fine P it's just that I think I am in some P.C. nightmare!
at 12:25 on July 2nd, 2008
politisite, I like this story. It's good stuff. Beautiful song, bad timing!
at 13:41 on July 2nd, 2008
politisite, I agree that the element of surprise was not a good idea, but the song itself is very interesting.
at 16:30 on July 2nd, 2008
She should have apologized to the crowd (the audience) as well. Isn't what she did what's called 'hubris'?
at 17:25 on July 2nd, 2008
The Negro National Anthem, as it was originally known, was written for a presentation to celebrate President Abraham Lincoln's birthday and was first performed by African American children in Jacksonville, Florida in 1900.
Although the decision to revise the words of the National Anthem was ill timed, even a bad choice, the artist has said she meant no disrespect. To insist the act was meant to be disrespectful ignores the singer's statement of intent and her apology.
at 17:31 on July 2nd, 2008
What is wrong with calling things what they are? Of course it is disrespectful for someone to be invited to sing at an event by the Mayor and insults patriotic Americans by singing "The Black National Anthem' in place of the "National Anthem" as she agreed to. Should we do Obama speak now and say she misspoke? No she knew what she was doing so to claim anyone ignored anything I would say she did. She ignored everyone else in that room and made the event a "Black National Anthem" political ploy so "we" can understand her pain. P.C. on steroids. Obama made a bad choice too by picking a racist hate filled pastor. But we can't talk about that, right?
at 17:46 on July 2nd, 2008
Now, the singer's patriotism is in question. Seems to be too much ado about an error in judgement for which the singer has apologized.
at 18:12 on July 2nd, 2008
I didn't say she was unpatriotic I said she insulted patriotic Americans. Those who think the American "National Anthem" is sacred. But of course those who think it is just another Anthem might not understand...
at 18:20 on July 2nd, 2008
Other than the issue of respect toward the country and our anthem, and yes, patriotrism, too (and I realize those two issues may not concern everyone), she certainly displayed an impressive lack of normal good manners. To be invited to sing the national anthem is an honor; indeed to be invited to sing to open an event is an honor in itself. To suddenly spring her little bit of political "gotcha" at the last moment was most telling. Frankly, she should have just shown up, given everyone the middle finger, and left without imposing her musical political statement--it would have saved everyone a great deal of time. Sure, she's issued a de facto apology, but she knew exactly what she was doing, and the end result. I feel rather sorry for the official who invited her and now has to deal with all the angry email and calls, while she scampers off.
at 20:37 on July 2nd, 2008
Ohhh, I like that statement the best PEP
at 18:30 on July 2nd, 2008
politisite, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 18:34 on July 2nd, 2008
PEP your always on point. It just bugs me how this Obamism of insulting the intelligence of people is in vogue. Like when Obama said his reverends words shocked him. They don't even believe their own BS...
at 04:56 on July 3rd, 2008
Thank you, mpress, and Barry. Mpress, you're spot on with "Obamism of insulting the intelligence of people." For those with ulterior motives, diluting community standards and insulting people's intelligence are among the basic tools. Given that there's an emerging culture that holds hypocrisy as holy, we'll probably see more of this rather than less.
at 00:02 on July 3rd, 2008
It is very difficult for a German or Most African countries to understand the hollines of an National anthem as American do or even the French to some extend, Most German know their National Anthem by Heard and yet keep on changing it to reflect an opinion or an outrage and no one ever had a problem with that!
Many German song writers have used the NA in part or as a hole, changed it and at times in a rather good way. their is a Rock version, an anti war version, a justice for all Humans version.... and so on and no one has ever taken offence to it! What matters I think is who we are and what we are and how we deal with the facts!