‘We’re Still Doing This?’: Fans Blast the NFL After the Singing of the ‘Black National Anthem’ Before Super Bowl LIX

NFL fans vented their frustrations on social media Sunday after singer Ledisi performed Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing, also known as the “Black National Anthem.”

The performance occurred right after the Walter Peyton Man of the Year Award was named and before a series of tributes commemorating the New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans and the wildfires in Los Angeles.

Fans on X were quick to voice their displeasure.

The NFL began adding a performance of Lift Ev’Ry Voice at games in 2020 after the tumultuous and violent summer following the death of George Floyd. Then, as now, the song was sung before the Star-Spangled Banner. While many of the social justice initiatives undertaken by sports leagues in the wake of Floyd’s death have slowly but surely faded away, the NFL has stubbornly held on to many of their Floyd-era innovations, such as social justice slogans in the end zone, on the backs of helmets, and, the performance of Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing.

It’s unknown how long the NFL plans to continue playing the song. What is clear is that the NFL is not making that decision based on fan reaction. They would have stopped playing the song long ago if it had been.