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Title: 'Black national anthem' stirs controversy for city
Source:
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URL Source: http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=94919&provider=top
Published: Jul 2, 2008
Author: Jeffrey Wolf
Post Date: 2008-07-02 18:25:22 by Jethro Tull
Keywords: None
Views: 623
Comments: 50
'Black national anthem' stirs controversy for city updated by: Nicole Lewis and Jeffrey Wolf reported by: Thanh Truong updated by: Dan Boniface and: Kyle Clark DENVER - Mayor John Hickenlooper's annual State of the City address may get more attention for what wasn't included than what was. “I don’t think it’s fair artistic expression,” said Gov. Bill Ritter (D-Colorado) of the incident. He made the comments on The Mike Rosen Show on 850 KOA on Wednesday. At the start of the event Tuesday morning, City Council President Michael Hancock introduced singer Rene Marie to perform the national anthem. Instead, she performed the song "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," which is also known as the "black national anthem." When she finished, the audience responded with mild applause. The national anthem was never performed. Governor Bill Ritter (D-Colorado) discussed the incident on The Mike Rosen Show on 850 KOA on Wednesday morning, calling it "inappropriate." "I don't think it's fair artistic expression," said Ritter. Ritter went on to say he felt Marie's actions were "wrong" and "outside the bounds." "It certainly is operating as a distraction," said Ritter. Marie told 9NEWS she kept her plans to switch songs quiet until the very last moment. She says only she, her husband and a friend knew she was going to sing something other than the "Star-Spangled Banner." She says she wanted to express her love of her country by mixing the lyrics of "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" with the melody of the "Star-Spangled Banner." "When I decided to sing my version, what was going on in my head was: 'I want to express how I feel about living in the United States, as a black woman, as a black person,'" said Marie. Hickenlooper's staff picked Marie to sing the national anthem. The mayor says he believes Marie did not intend to offend anyone or make a political statement. When asked if he was offended, Hickenlooper said, "You know I was more confused and I think I was more – what I was, was disappointed and confused and that's why I wanted to talk to her." "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" was written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson in 1899 and set to music by his brother in 1900. City Councilman Charlie Brown took to talk radio Tuesday afternoon to criticize the absence of the national anthem at the State of the City proceedings. "There is no substitute for the national anthem, period," Brown said. "And that's what really bothered me. You know when we fly the flag, the American flag, it's always the highest flag, as it should be. And that didn't come across today, that didn't happen today." In hindsight, both Brown and Hickenlooper say they should have stopped Marie or began singing themselves. Marie says if she had the benefit of doing it over, she would sing the same song. When asked if she would apologize for what happened she said, "No I do not." Marie has been singing professionally for 10 years. Brown says he doesn't have a problem with people expressing their views, but he says Marie chose the wrong venue. Below are the full lyrics to "Lift Ev'ry Voice & Sing" 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.
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#1. To: Jethro Tull (#0)
she owes an apology. she was commissioned to sing the National Anthem. she wasn't asked to express how she felt about living in the US as a black woman, a black person. what she did, imo, was underhanded and self-serving. she also put city officials in an uncomfortable position.
That is the good part of it. It was nice of her to do this. Thik about it. Authority and custom are preventing us from getting the 9-11 message out better. Hey, she didn't do a song with the Revolutionary Communist Party's slogan, "Red White and Blue, we spit on you." You should chill. Think avoid knee jerk reaction. I mean, is the world going to come to an end because of this? Bet it won't.
Ferret Mike: That is the good part of it. It was nice of her to do this. Think about it. Authority and custom are preventing us from getting the 9-11 message out better. Hey, she didn't do a song with the Revolutionary Communist Party's slogan, "Red White and Blue, we spit on you."You should chill. Think avoid knee jerk reaction. I mean, is the world going to come to an end because of this? Bet it won't. What the singer did was deceive her audience and take advantage of the platform offered to her in good faith to present her very personal black-oriented agenda. She lied and took advantage of other people, Ferret. She's no heroine. She's no truth seeker. She's a selfish con artist.
Oh and they'll always be so eternally wounded too. Oh the horror of it all. Sorry, but surprise is the spice of life, I see delight in this delicious act of musical appreciation. Hey, one of the reasons people wandered this staid, boring and homogenized country to follow the Grateful Dead was to musically and culturally put some zest back into the mix of things. I applaud her act of rebellion.
No more offensive than Mandela singing "Kill Whitey"
It is also far less obscene and offensive as the murder of Bantu Steven Biko by racist Afrikaner pigs. Amandla Awetu!
Answer this....why is it whites (the majority) in America treat blacks (the minority) different than blacks (the majority) in Africa treat whites (the minority)....unless of course you also buy into the theory that its not a crime to steal rob rape from whites...and for the record why is affirmative action in place in both countries...you should really go and spend time in the country where Biko lived maybe you will come back alive...or more than likely in a box
That is a question that is complex. I could write a post long enough to make 'All the king's men' green with envy. In North America, the genocidal wiping out of the native population complete with forced cultural assimilation and the import of Africans who were aggressively disallowed their native culture created people with no cultural anchor and low self esteem. Often the problems cited by racists is a result of expression and practice of the policy of racism. There is allot of murky water for racists to hide in here. South African peoples were never culturally destroyed, and Steve Biko, the father of the Black consciousness movement in SA helped affirm the struggle is defined by and acted upon the belief system and definitions of those people afflicted by racist policies, not by well meaning white allies. South Africa, despite all it's woes will right itself this century and become the country it was meant to be before Europeans came. It will be socially just and economically sound. All that is proved by current problems is that the process of recovery from the fascism called Apartheid is a long and hazard filled road. In this country we need to all realize we are one people and all in this together. The path we take to go as a people were we need to go will be much different here then it will be in SA by virtue of this core difference concerning the health of core cultural identity. And by the fact African Americans are a minority here and a majority there.
Mike, my grandparents came here from Ireland legally in 1905 and they had nothing to do w/slavery. Why should my kids (and me) be made to feel like we're guilty for this nations past?
We are all sisters and brothers on this planet, and no injustice should be done to contemporary people in retaliation, as the tenet of injustice anywhere being a threat to peace and the dignity of people everywhere applies to unreasonable backlash for past wrongs too. People need to learn to get along, and this applies to everyone. I am sorry I don't have the time right now to expound on this, but I'm sure I'll have oppertunities to do so later on tonight or this weekend that started today.
There are no replies to Comment # 48. End Trace Mode for Comment # 48.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestWhen asked if she would apologize for what happened she said, "No I do not."
#9. To: christine (#1)
"she also put city officials in an uncomfortable position."
#10. To: Ferret Mike, christine (#9)
article: "When I decided to sing my version, what was going on in my head was: 'I want to express how I feel about living in the United States, as a black woman, as a black person,'" said Marie.
#21. To: scrapper2 (#10)
#22. To: Ferret Mike (#21)
#24. To: robnoel (#22)
#29. To: Ferret Mike (#24)
#38. To: robnoel (#29)
#44. To: Ferret Mike (#38)
#48. To: Jethro Tull (#44)
"Mike, my grandparents came here from Ireland legally in 1905 and they had nothing to do w/slavery. Why should my kids (and me) be made to feel like we're guilty for this nations past?"
Replies to Comment # 48.