Abstract
May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem is a political, social, cultural, and historical consideration of the anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Written from the perspectives of black community members throughout the country, the book goes beyond the traditional explanation of the poetry, music, and lives of its co-creators, brothers James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson. The author and Princeton University Professor Imani Perry traces the diverse paths the influential anthem followed to become adopted as a beacon of inspiration by generations of African Americans during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Nominated for the 50th NAACP Image Awards and Outstanding Literary Work, nonfiction, the book tells the story of a people shaped dramatically through their deep connection to music and their shared cultural traditions.
“Lift Every Voice and Sing” was composed by John Rosamond Johnson, with words written by his brother James W. Johnson, and became widely known as the Black National Anthem. It was first performed in 1900 in commemoration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday by five hundred students at the renowned Stanton School in Jacksonville, Florida. It quickly moved on to galvanize black communities throughout the United States and has become an important part of African American history.
Perry’s May We Forever Stand is an extension of previous books about the song but identifies the contexts that enabled it to become a part of our American music education traditions. The music remains deeply important in black communities. The author’s examination of the roles of music traditions in American black communities reveals that music has remained a source of comfort, unity, and strength in dealing with continuous adversity.
In May We Forever Stand, Perry raises issues pertaining to the use of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” including the types of settings where it usually has been performed. Typically, it is heard at graduation ceremonies, in church services, in social gatherings, and in school-oriented rituals. From a cultural perspective, Perry’s descriptions of “black formalism” and its reliance on “associational life” are crucial to understanding its place in African American life. “School Bell Song,” Chapter 3 of May We Forever Stand, will likely be the chapter that resonates the most with the music education profession.
In exploring the larger context, the author provides a glimpse of what daily education, recreation, work, and life in general was like in all-black communities and their respective schools in the early twentieth century. Initially, the ways in which black school children were introduced to and taught to respond to the anthem were communicated by the stories of individuals who had attended segregated schools in the South. With time, these types of formal social contacts faded, and Perry notes that a weakening in importance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was observable in black communities. Given the changing political climate and the increased struggles facing African Americans, new songs known as Freedom Songs, like “We Shall Overcome,” began to emerge as contemporary anthems. This was most evident during the post–Civil Rights era and the rise of the “Black Power” movement. Perry identifies general community connectedness and community-building as principles more influential in its popularity than in efforts to teach the song.
Since its composition in 1900, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” has symbolized the pride, expectations, dreams, and aspirations of black Americans. In short, it has helped many to understand what it means to be an African American. Perry’s inclusion of minor events in Africa or other parts of the world in reference to the anthem was distracting. Still, she noted, the concerns and values shared among black communities were similar regardless of location, even within the different regions of the United States.
May We Forever Stand is well researched and easy to read. To create a realistic retelling of the story, recollections of community contacts were arranged both chronologically and thematically. Written initially for individuals interested in African American cultural studies, the book has significant importance to musicologists, ethnomusicologists, and music educators. While little musical analysis is provided, the importance of singing together, the contexts in which the song was sung, and the evolution of the song over time is what makes this book most worth the attention of educators. Perry provides a wealth of cultural knowledge for individuals wishing to gain a more socially and culturally relevant perspective of this song. She brings to light many events typically not addressed in mainstream histories. It is a uniquely honest view of what life truly was like for many and how the meaning of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” has helped shape generations of African Americans to the present day.
The book is an interesting explanation of the social, political, historical, and cultural aspects of music in African American culture. Although the actual musical connection to the Black National Anthem itself was weaker than expected, music historians and educators seeking a deeper understanding of the evolution of the song and its cultural significance will find this a book worth reading. May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem is a historically and culturally significant book of which all members of the music education profession should be aware.