The 2025 NFL Draft kicked off in Green Bay with a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by a Milwaukee choir, the James Weldon Johnson Foundation’s “National Hymn Choir”.
The choral rendition, backed by a solo pianist, stirred strong reactions online, with some fans voicing frustration over the inclusion of the song, often referred to as the Black national anthem.
Some fans were left seething over the “gentrified” rendition of the song.
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“They got whites singing Lift Every Voice and Sing? They done gentrified the Black national anthem,” one furious social media user posted, as reported by Daily Mail.
“That was the whitest ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ that I’ve ever heard,” another claimed.
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“Whose idea was it to have a CHOIR?!?! Not really the target demographic there in attendance,” a third questioned.
Another furious fan hit out, asking: “What the hell kind of gentrified version of Lift Every Voice and Sing was that???”
“What in the hell are we watching here?? Choir singing before the Draft?,” echoed another. “God I miss the days when the NFL Draft was just the NFL Draft.”
Ledisi’s stirring performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” during February’s Super Bowl drew both praise and scrutiny, especially as it followed news that the NFL was removing its “End Racism” end zone signage.
Her rendition in New Orleans earned widespread acclaim online and came just after former President Trump’s arrival at the stadium.
