The history of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,’ the Black anthem being played at NFL games

Starting Thursday night in Kansas City, the National Football League plans to feature live performances of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” before its season-opening games, a move prompted by the police brutality and racial justice protests that have swept the country after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. The league’s decision to play “Lift Every Voice and Sing” could expose millions of Americans to the song for the first time.