Documentary Traces The Origins Of The Black National Anthem

“Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the Black National Anthem, has long been a staple in Black culture. From church ceremonies, HBCU graduations, to Beyoncé’s Coachella performance, the Black National Anthem has become nearly as ubiquitous as “The Star Spangled Banner.” Filmmaker Keith Brown made the documentary A New Day Begun to examine the song’s history and why it has endured for so long.

“A New Day Begun takes us on, really, a 250-year journey,” Brown says in the video. “From slavery to now, and how this song has captured the essence of who we are.”

Brown went into the documentary looking to answer one simple question: What was a new day? “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was written by James Weldon Johnson in the year 1900. “It was a time when Black people were building towns, going to universities, and really thriving,” Brown says. “That lyric really gives us the kind of vision we have in the wake of tragedy.”

The NAACP officially labeled “Lift Every Voice and Sing” the Black National Anthem in 1919, as the Red Summer race riots were underway across the country. This was a period of time when Black people were having their homes and businesses destroyed, if not being outright lynched, simply for existing.

“It was a real turbulent time, and in times like that it really requires the vision, the discipline, and the motivation to keep going,” Brown says. “That’s what this song does. It makes you keep going. March on.”

While “Lift Every Voice and Sing” has been called the Black National Anthem, Brown believes its lyrics hold universal truth. “Anyone can pick up that song and be motivated by it. Anyone with a dream, anyone who had to confront adversity or a challenge, can use this song as a source of inspiration and motivation,” Brown says.

As the Black National Anthem has been sung at NFL games and expanded beyond Black spaces into the national spotlight, it’s also become a source of controversy. You’ve no doubt heard the complaints from the melanin-deficient that there’s only one National Anthem, and even acknowledging the Black National Anthem is unpatriotic.

“It’s just the opposite. It is incredibly patriotic,” Brown says. “Actually, ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ was around and people were singing it before the National Anthem became the National Anthem in 1931.”

Brown’s original ending for his film was Vice President Kamala Harris’ inauguration as the first Black woman to become president of the United States. For obvious reasons, that didn’t happen. As Brown began retooling the ending, he was once more left with yet another key question.

“Where are we in the trajectory of the song? Is it a new day begun? Is it the days of our silent tears and weary years? Is stony the road we trod?” Brown asks. “One thing for sure is that we continue to march on until victory is won.”

A New Day Begun is currently available to stream on YouTube.