The Black National Anthem Lyrics — James Weldon Johnson –

The Buckley School’s founder believed that all public speakers should hone their presentation skills by reading poetry out loud. We keep that worthwhile practice alive by including a poem in our magazine each month for you to read aloud. The portrait of James Weldon Johnson above is from the Beneicke Rare Books and Manuscript Library at Yale University.
Image source — https://buckleyschool.com/magazine/articles/poetry-to-read-aloud-james-weldon-johnson/

Song title: ‘Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing


Also known as: The Black National Anthem
Also known as: The Negro National Anthem

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,
Here 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,
everyday we lit
Shadowed beneath thy hand,
May we forever stand,
True to our God,
True to our native land.

Lyrics source: https://www.metrolyrics.com/the-black-national-anthem-lyrics-james-weldon-johnson.html

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