Every Star Who Has Sang the Black National Anthem at the Super Bowl

At the 2025 Super Bowl, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was performed by Ledisi as part of the pre-game ceremony ahead of the Feb. 9 game.

The song, also known as the Black National Anthem, has played a crucial role in Super Bowl celebrations since 2021 but this year in particular the performance has been at the center of backlash. As the newly-elected Trump administration continues to fuel rejections of antiracism and seeks to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, the song has been unfairly criticized by some conservatives.

“The performance of the song should be framed to the public not as a protest song but as a song of Black affirmation, perseverance and inspiration,” Gerald Early, a professor at the African and African American studies department of Washington University in St. Louis told NBC ahead of the 2025 Super Bowl. “It is unfortunate that the song’s performance has become a culture war issue.”

“Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a hymn written by James Weldon Johnson and set to music by his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson, was adopted by the NAACP in the early 20th Century as the Black National Anthem. In 2020, amid the George Floyd protests, it became a powerful symbol of Black pride.

At that time, the NFL was going through a shift as players began protesting racial inequality by taking a knee during performances of the national anthem. So, for the first time in history, the NFL announced that the Black National Anthem would become a more regular part of pre-game ceremonies, culminating it being played at the Super Bowl for the first time ever in 2021.

This year, the honor of singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at the Super Bowl belongs to Ledisi. For more details on her performance and previous Super Bowl performances of the Black National Anthem, keep scrolling.