In 1900, James Weldon Johnson wrote one of the most important songs for African Americans in the 20^th century. The black national anthem, entitled “Lift Every Voice and Sing” started out as a poem written by James Weldon Johnson and then music was added by his brother J. Rosamond Johnson. The song discussed the struggles of the past, a new hope for the future and religion. Many decades later, this song gained a new level of importance as blacks attempted to improve their conditions in America during the civil rights movement. The movement had many songs that helped make it a success, but this one encapsulated the feeling of the time period in a way that few others did. When Martin Luther King Jr. marched on Washington with over 200,000 demonstrators, this song was sung as a rallying cry to unify the black community and its supporters. For the first time, the black community had a national anthem that catered specifically to them and gave them a voice in a time when they needed to be heard. Through a clearly defined problem and solution, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was able to motivate the black community and help them achieve their goals during the civil rights movement.

            Almost all music in social movements can be broken down into three separate collective action frames. The first of these is the diagnosis. The diagnosis is the part of the song in which the singer or singers state the problem that needs resolution. The centuries that blacks have spent in America have been filled with the horrors of slavery and the racism and discrimination that followed. The effects of this past were still being felt at the time of the civil rights movement with the practice of segregation and the denial of civil right to the black community. These actions kept blacks from receiving equal opportunities in all sectors of society. The main problem in this song is the tumultuous past which has left the black race in the current position of inequality. This song recognizes this as the main factor that is keeping blacks from achieving the treatment they deserve. Historical references can be seen throughout with general comments that hint at how difficult it has been for blacks in America.

First, this idea can be seen in the second stanza when Johnson writes “Stony the road we trod, Bitter the chastening rod”. The image of a “stony road” is a metaphor for the hard journey that blacks have taken following their arrival in the new land all the way to the present. Johnson goes on to write, “We have come over a way that with tears have been watered, We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered”. Here, there are specific references to the extreme violence blacks had faced. Violent acts such as whipping, lynching, and other atrocities were an all too common part of the past. The “tears” is a reference to the sadness and emotion associated with this violence and oppression. Johnson does an excellent job of using colorful words to paint a vivid picture of the black struggle in America. A listener can almost get a mental picture of the violence or a mother’s tears. The key words such a blood, slaughtered, tears, and stony add a dramatic effect to the song and help to bring out the images the song discusses. As a result, Johnson is able to define the problem of the troublesome past and provide examples to back up the argument.

            The second part of the collective action frame is the prognosis. This portion of the song deals with the solution to the previously stated problems. In reaction to the problems of the past, James Weldon Johnson finds the solution to be a strong relationship with God and a positive outlook on the future. The religious motif present throughout this song coincides with the religious attitude present in many songs of the era. When times got rough, black people had learn to rely on religion as a way to keep spirit up and faith that there would be better days to come. In this respect, it is only fitting that a song sung in the civil rights movement called the black national anthem would reflect this religious attitude. In the first stanza, the phrase “Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us” discusses this motif. This line recognizes religion as a major part of the past by saying that the harsh background blacks have had, helped develop faith in their God. The second part of the quote recognizes the importance of religion in providing hope for the present day situation.

Next, in the third stanza, the song says, “God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou who has brought us thus far on the way; Thou who has by Thy might, Led us into the light”. Once again, this part of the song in proclaiming that God had been with black people through it all and the idea of leading them into the light is representative of God leading the black community to a brighter future. Finally, in the last lines of the song, Johnson writes, “Shadowed beneath Thy hand, May we forever stand. True to our GOD, True to our native land”. This is one of the most important pieces of the song because it mentions two of the central concepts to the movement. First, it talks about religion with the symbol of “Thy hand” and the goal of staying true to God. The image of God’s hand is representative of God guiding and protecting the black community. By staying true to God, blacks had faith that their goals were attainable. The last phrase of staying true to the native land is also crucial because in order for blacks to have any success in the future, they could not forget where they came from. For that reason, a strong connection to their African roots was a central idea of the civil rights movement.

            The final part of the collective action frame is the motivation. This part of the song encourages people to act on the solution the song presents. The best example of motivation in “Lift Every Voice and Sing” is in the end of the first stanza. Here, the song says, “Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on till victory is won.” The metaphor of a new day with a rising sun is saying that the next chapter in black history has beginning. The image of the sun illuminating the new day can be translated into the bright future blacks hope to have. The last part of this phrase is motivating people to continue fighting until they achieve their goals. This part of the song is particularly inspiring and it shows why this song is so meaningful for African Americans who have struggled in the past and hope to ameliorate their situation in the future.   

            Although the song was not written in during the 1960s when the brunt of the civil rights movement took place, its significance cannot be overlooked. While many protest songs of the time period focus specifically on one subject, this song gave a broad outlook on the path blacks had traveled over time and the vision for a better tomorrow. For this reason, it was the song chosen to represent a whole race as the national black anthem. This song had a clearly defined problem, solution and motivation. The problem of a negative history was met with the solution of a bright new future. This solution was founded in the deep religious commitment that many blacks had formed with God. Finally, the song motivated people to continue fighting for their rights and an end to segregation and racism, which would hopefully lead to equality for blacks in America.  The deep emotion and inspiration this song provides was certainly present during the famous march on Washington in 1963 and it will continue to impact generations to come.