Black National Anthem?, page 2

Originally posted by Gatordone
When can we get over it? After how many generations will this be let go? Two things - This epiosode happened way befiore the majority of white Americans' ancestors even immigrated to the US, and that particular boat ride was the best thing African Americans' ancestors ever did for them.

No one blamed 'white America'. I think you're jumping to conclusions. However, the backbone of the American economy, on which most of the subsequent immigrants built their livelihoods, and the major banks, which are still the riches, and most powerful money makers to this day, got it's start using slave transport and labor. This nation was built on the bodies of dead slaves. And for centuries following, the African American community had been denigrated and oppressed.

Lift Every Voice and Sing was written at a time when there was a need for black solidarity.

The interesting thing is that Lift Every Voice and Sing was written and placed to music decades before The Star Spangled Banner was officially made the national anthem. At the time of it's writing, there were dozens of songs used to display pride in one's country. I find it a bit a bit disturbing that the one finally decided on as the official song was one which spoke about the beauty of war and set to the tune of a drinking song, but I guess that's beside the point.

I walk away from hearing that as a way to unify the division that is occurring around the country since the nomination of Obama as a presidential candidate. Although there is no direct connection between Obama and this singer, there certainly is a division that needs to be addressed. Maybe their each trying to address it in their own way. Whatever the case, it needs to be addressed.

And to the comments about people dying for the lyrics of that song are severely misguided. To say that would mean that they were dying for the beauty of war, or to fight for the sake of fighting, and to die for the sake of dying. I doubt anyone whose been in battle would agree with that. However, I've never been in combat so I couldn't tell you.

The boat ride wasn't fun for anybody but I think today we can all be glad it happened.

Yeah, but it was more fun for the captain drinking his wine or rum and eating his 3 course meal, or the company owner who was funding the atrocities from his London, Boston or New York house than for the guys chained to a rotting corpse in the pitch black dungeon of the ships.