The NFL has faced a renewed wave of backlash over the playing of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also called the “Black National Anthem,” before games. Critics have labeled the alternative anthem called for a boycott against the NFL until they only play the Star Spangled Banner. The calls come as recent conservative activism has compelled companies to pull back on woke agendas.
“Apparently the NFL hasn’t caught on that people, and many companies, are over the DEI garbage. They will again, play the highly divisive and racist ‘black national anthem’ tonight. There is ONE anthem for this country, and it for everyone that is proud to be an American. Their pandering is embarrassing,”
The American Tribune has reported extensively on the backlash against the NFL where fans have bashed the league for not solely playing the national anthem. According to conservative commentator Paul A. Szypula, “This division started with Obama and has only gotten worse since. If we want to fix it we need to defund companies that promote it. Stop watching the NFL. Stop going to their games.”
Another disgruntled X user suggested this tactic is an intentional political tactic to sow division. They said, “This is a communist tactic, to sow racial divisions within society. It’s part of a divine and conquer strategy. So the NFL execs are communists or they are bowing to communists. People need to be wiser than communism, we outnumber them!”
Furthermore, The Tribune also commented on comments from former ESPN commentator-turned-conservative commentator Sage Steele who slammed the Black National Anthem being played at sporting events. 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.”
Steele further claimed the Black National Anthem is dividing Americans. She 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.”
The former ESPN host claimed that the “blanthem” has been forced upon sports fans who don’t necessarily have an interested in supporting the alternate anthem. “First of all, the fact that you didn’t even know,” she told her guest. “What’s that? The black national anthem. Because it’s new and they’re shoving it down people’s throats. What are we doing?”
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Watch the Black National Anthem being played at a recent event below:
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.