“Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also often referred to as the Black National Anthem, was written over a century ago as part of the fight for freedom in African American history. Since then, the lyrics penned by James Weldon Johnson and music composed by his brother Rosamond, have been passed down as a uniting song that captures the story of many black Americans. In her new book, May We Forever Stand (The University of North Carolina Press), Perry draws on a diverse collection of sources to tell the story of the ways in which African Americans have used music to protest, celebrate, and mourn for over a century.
