Ahead of the 2025 Super Bowl matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, calls have grown for the NFL to suspend the playing of the “Black National Anthem” before the start of the game. For years, conservatives have argued that playing other anthems is inherently divisive and that viewers should unite as Americans under the Star-Spangled Banner.
Over the past few years, the song “Life Every Voice and Sing,” often referred to as the “Black National Anthem,” has been played alongside the national anthem before some NFL games. Despite the backlash to the alternative anthem, reports indicate that singer Ledisi, a New Orleans native, will perform the Black National Anthem this year.
One user on X reacted to the news, posting, “Hey @NFL, remove the so-called “Black National Anthem.” America already has a National Anthem. We don’t need or want one specific to a group of people. That only encourages division. We are all ONE NATION.” Various other conservative personalities across social media echoed this sentiment.
Conservative commentator Tim Pool posted on X in the days leading up to the Super Bowl, “The Star Spangled Banner is an Anthem for all Americans and discriminates against no race Having a black supremacist “national anthem” at the Super Bowl is an affront to the great melting pot of America and is racist.”
Another user outright stated they will not watch the Super Bowl if they play the alternative anthem, claiming it is promoting division. “The United States of America has one national anthem…. I Will not be watching the Super Bowl because they’re playing a black national anthem with the intention of keeping this country divided,” he said.
The American Tribune previously reported on comments from former ESPN personality Sage Steele who pushed back on the Black National Anthem. The former sportscaster-turned-conservative commentator said, “I never intended to stir the pot, but now I don’t care. … I don’t like this whole black national anthem thing.”
Explaining to a guest on her show, she said, “Well, it’s newer the last couple of years and it’s at the Super Bowl. And it’s been at a couple of major sporting events, and it’s ‘Lift Every Voice,’ and that’s sung now before the national anthem and it’s called the black national anthem.” She and the guest agreed to call it a “blanthem.”
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Watch Steele below:
Steele continued, “Let’s call it that. Hashtag blanthem. Maybe if it were that I would not think it were so ridiculous and divisive. … With the hashtag we’re good. Cool. To me, and again I’m sensitive, because I’ve been told — Dude, we’re one big melting pot. This is good. Why are we now choosing to separate again when we’ve been in a tough time here the past several years, to say, “This is only our anthem, but y’all better stand up. Get you’re a** up.” …I think we’re all Americans and it’s our anthem; and all the immigrants from across the world that have come here stand up for our anthem. They’re all Americans.”