“Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing”
Ongoing Impact of the Song
Appearance in the magazine
The World Tomorrow, 1929
As the twentieth century went on, "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" became widely known and was often cited as the Negro National Anthem.
Lincoln Menu Postcard, 1930 (front)
Lincoln Menu Postcard, 1930 (back)
The song was frequently sung at events such as celebrations of Lincoln's birthday.
Letter from James Weldon Johnson to Mrs. Lisbon C. Berry, a leader of community singers, 1933.
Letter from James Weldon Johnson to Captolia T. Dent, Music Director at Paine College, 1932.
People often wrote James Weldon Johnson asking advice about how to sing the song. He responded often with specific instructions about, for example, dynamics (how loudly or softly to sing different parts of the song).
National Urban League Program, 1972
New York Urban League Program, 1973
"Lift Ev'ry Voice" was often the opening or closing hymn for civic and other public events.
Marian Anderson, 1940
