'Hate to disagree': Super Bowl fans divided by Andra Day's Black national anthem as Megyn Kelly claims it 'doesn't belong' there

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: Sports fans on social media were divided by Andra Day's rendition of 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' during Super Bowl LVIII, with some applauding her performance and others objecting to it being performed at all.

Adding fuel to the fire, conservative commentator Megyn Kelly wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "The so-called Black National Anthem does not belong at the Super Bowl. We already have a National Anthem and it includes EVERYONE."

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Conservative Twitter accounts continued to pile on, expressing disapproval not only for the performance but also for its existence.

Andra Day performs moving rendition of Black National Anthem 

The Grammy winner, 39, raised the stakes for the fans even higher on Sunday, February 11, as she sang the Black national anthem during her pre-game performance at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

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According to the NAACP website, 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' is a song that was widely used throughout the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s and is recognized as the Black national anthem.

Since Super Bowl LV in the 2020 season, 'Lift Every Voice'—originally penned as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900—has been played at the NFL championship game, per Daily Mail.

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The R&B artist sang the timeless song with the help of a few backup vocalists, and their harmonies were incredible.

They brought uplifting energy before the big game, as she reached high notes with ease while her supporting vocalists executed simple yet impactful choreography.

Day's performance was delivered in American Sign Language by actor Shaheem Sanchez.

"It’s a hymn of triumph, and that’s what I want people to encounter when I sing this song. I want them to know that we have victory and we have peace already… It feels like there’s an honor," Sanchez went one.

Day made a jest about wanting to enjoy an 'out of body experience while performing' the song for the general public, per New York Post.

However, the continuation of this practice has angered many conservatives on social media, with Republican lawmakers and political experts threatening to boycott the game.

Controversies surrounded Black national anthem 'Lift Every Voice and Sing'

Over the years, the Black National Anthem 'Lift Every Voice Up and Sing' has generated some debate.

In 2023, during an NFL game, Kari Lake—a former news anchor and the Republican Party's choice for governor of Arizona in 2022—refused to stand for the song.

Megyn Kelly, the embattled media star, also criticized the song when it was played at the 2023 U.S. Open.

Kelly vehemently tweeted at the time: "No national anthem at the #USOpen – just a mixture of America the Beautiful & Lift Every Voice & Sing. This, as everywhere we are barraged with “50 years of equal pay!” reminders and Moderna signs. Can we just have a non-woke, non-agenda pushing men’s tennis championship?"

Super Bowl online fans are left split over Black national anthem

The National Football League (NFL) came under fire from supporters on social media for scheduling the rendition of the Black national anthem before the summit game.

Republican leader Matt Gaetz posted a chat he had with his wife on X, explaining why they were not going to watch the Super Bowl. "They’re desecrating America’s National Anthem by playing something called the ‘Black National Anthem,’" he stated.

Republican congressman from Ohio's House of Representatives, Rep Mike Loychik, criticized the NFL, claiming that the Super Bowl was meant to "bring us together".

"There’s no such thing as a black national anthem. We are all AMERICANS, united by our great and beautiful Star Spangled Banner. The Super Bowl is supposed to bring us together," Loychik wrote on X.

Another X user slammed and wrote, "There’s no such thing as a black national anthem. We are all AMERICANS united by our great & beautiful Star Spangled Banner. Super Bowl is supposed to bring us together disgrace NFL decided to push politics of racial division again."

One X account wrote: "There is no such thing as a "Black National Anthem" If you have a problem with the AMERICAN National Anthem, feel free to leave"

Naturally, there were just as many on the other side of the aisle who applauded the inclusion of L.E.V.A.S., as there usually are in America.

New York representative Ritchie Torres (D) tweeted, quoting Gaetz's post: "The Black National Anthem—‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’—has been a part of our Nation’s history since the early 20th century. The erasure of African American history as American history is a form of racism that runs deep on the far right."

One user quippedd, "Time for the obligatory "WHY ARE THERE TWO NATIONAL ANTHEMS THATS SO DIVISIVE WHATS A BLACK NATIONAL ANTHEM AAAAAAAAA WE'RE ALL AMERICANS" tweets. Shoutout Andra Day tho she fire."

Another one replied in part to Kelly's tweet by saying, "Hate to disagree with you, it isn't a replacement for the national.anthem, it is an amazing Christian Hymn."

One more slammed Kelly's post and wrote, "You have no authority to say what belongs anywhere so mind your own business! I love the Black National Anthem and it’s appropriate! So try again, smart mouth!"

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

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