Singer Laurin Talese’s rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing’ left NFL fans divided ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles’ season opener, with many seething over the league’s ‘DEI’ anthem.
The jazz songstress took center stage as the Eagles kick started their Super Bowl title defense in a divisional showdown against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.
While the song – which has been dubbed the Black National Anthem – has become common place in the NFL and has been performed at the Super Bowl and the Draft, the performance in Philadelphia sparked backlash.
The fans inside Lincoln Financial Field appeared to have little respect for the anthem with the continuous chatter of the crowd almost drowning out
And the viewers back home appeared to share their sentiment as many on social media slammed the league for playing the anthem before the season opener.
‘Here we go with the DEI “lift every voice and sing” anthem,’ one furious football fan wrote on X. ‘Ridiculous. Sing the national anthem!’
Singer Laurin Talese’s rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing’ left NFL fans divided
‘This “lift every voice and sing” black national anthem is a disgrace to the NFL and USA!!,’ another claimed.
‘NFL still going with this lift every voice and sing thing huh .. smh look at the crowd they can care less lol,’ a third wrote, referring to the predominantly Kelly Green stands as the cameras panned around the Linc.
‘“Lift Every Voice And Sing” is being performed before the Cowboys and Eagles game. As they pan across the crowd you notice that no one gives a s***,’ echoed another.
‘Very disappointing to see @NFL is still sponsoring this divisive “Black National Anthem” bulls***,’ fumed another.
However, other fans’ issue didn’t lie with the performance of the anthem but rather the quality of the sound.
‘The person responsible for the sound mix on this “Lift Every Voice and Sing” should be fired,’ one user posted as Talese struggled to be heard despite the aid of a microphone.
‘NFL & Goodell are cowards scared of Trump so they f***ed up the audio for #NFLKickoff for the Black National Anthem Lift Every Voice Sing,’ said another, referring to commissioner Roger Goodell.
‘They disrespected the hell out the woman singing lift every voice and sing,’ one angry user posted.
Some fans fumed that the ‘DEI’ anthem was performed before the game, while others slammed the ‘disrespect’ shown to Talese by the crowd on social media
‘Not all this chatter during lift every voice and sing,’ echoed another, adding a crying emoji.
‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ triggered outrage earlier this year when a choral rendition was performed before the NFL Draft in Green Bay.
A Milwaukee-based choir, the James Weldon Johnson Foundation’s ‘National Hymn Choir’, performed the song in April.
The choral arrangement was accompanied by a simple pianist in front of the throngs of fans gathered at Lambeau Stadium.
But fans back home were left seething over the ‘gentrified’ rendition of the song.
‘They got whites singing Lift Every Voice and Sing? They done gentrified the Black national anthem,’ one furious social media user posted.
The performance of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ ahead of the Super Bowl in February had also sparked headlines.
Ledisi’s performance had been a source of scrutiny earlier in the week, especially after it emerged the NFL was removing its ‘End Racism’ signs from the end zone for the Super Bowl.
But Ledisi’s powerful performance in New Orleans sparked widespread praise on social media.
She took to the field moments after President Trump had arrived at the stadium for the biggest night in the sporting calendar in the United States.
More to follow.
