@@xa_2_alexanderedwardwidjaj877 Not at all, Cavett wasn't a racist. He was lowkey praising Charles by basically saying to the viewers "Why weren't you here earlier? Ray Charles is here!!"
Today’s grand opening of The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., brought me here. Written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson in 1899, and set to music by his brother John Rosamond Johnson. Excellent post. Thanks!
Nah. It's religious in nature. America is a secular nation, and having this as our national anthem would only further destroy that. It's the same reason why "In God We Trust" shouldn't be our motto.
@@IAMTHEIC3MAN America is very much not a secular country, that’s why we have politicians trying to implement laws “based”on their religion. And why when your sworn in you have to do it on a Bible primarily, unless you have another religion
@@emmafrididj5744 That's because our country has been corrupted by conservative Christians. Literally all the founding fathers agreed that America was not founded on Christian values, indeed, it was founded in spite of them. In fact, several of the founding fathers were staunch atheists, such as Thomas Paine.
Lift every voice and sing Till earth and heaven ring Ring with the harmonies of Liberty; let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies, let it resound loud as the rolling sea sing a song full of faith that the dark past has taught us, sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; facing the rising sun of a new day begun, let us march on till victory is won. Stony the road we trod, bitter the chast'ning rod, felt in the day that hope unborn had died; yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet, come to the place for which our fathers sighed? we have come over a way that with tears has been watered, we have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered, out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last where the white gleam of our star is cast. 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, keep us forever in the path, we pray lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee, lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee, shadowed beneath the hand, may we forever stand, true to our God, True to our native land.
Thank you so much for sharing the words. Key phrase: “native land”, i.e. The United States of America! It’s a song about freedom for... all people. What a shame such a lovely, compassionate song is being used to divide us. It’s a kind of desecration, really.
And yet my kingdom is in heaven so I read that into it most of all... all people came from Africa where the Garden of Eden was, or the Middle East at least, including me who has the least melanin of all my people who have less melanin.
@@nataliegiles2554 and if it is Africa, it still shouldn't be considered divisive. African American people were brought here from the continent of Africa. Just like Irish people came from Ireland, Italians from Italy. We all have heritage that began elsewhere with ONE exception. USA is only the "Native Land" of the indigenous people that were here 1st.
Oddly enough, in 1972, white Americans weren't triggered, outraged, and didn't shatter to pieces over this song, or it being called "The Black National Anthem" WILD.
John 3:16 KJV For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 💛
In other words, “for God so ‘loved’ the world that he sacrificed himself to himself to serve as a workaround for rules he created, so that he could develop the compassion needed to not infinitely torture human beings for finite ‘crimes’ like having sex before marriage or being gay.”
Fun fact: This song was written in 1900 to commemorate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday and promote black civil rights during Reconstruction after the Civil War. It’s stayed famous among black people in America, and for everyone else it’s one amazing song
Mixed Latine here, shocked that such powerful words would strike fear in the hearts of racists. Seems like a proud people is what they fear. I will continue to quench antiblackness and anti-indigeneity from Latine culture as we can only grow and rise up united, not by ignoring history. I feel that black people never had the luxury of forgetting their history as after slavery came Jim Crow and today the oppression continues. In Latin America I feel that the blaquamiento or whitization happened by heavy mixing with the population, subtly making people think that there are no races in Latin America; white people, black, mestizo is the same, but it is a lie it just allows the even more tiny white dominant whites in Latin America to let the mestizo carry the water for them without even realizing it. They let people that are mixed or not as white in the USA claim more priviledges but the minority white population remain in control. While in the USA the white racists were so racist that there was little mixing and the one drop rule is almost the opposite in Latin America where most are mixed and compared to indigenous and black Latinos they are priviledged because the one drop rule is actually encouraged by white supremacist society. I feel tackling antiblackness and anti-indigeneity sentiments in our culture is a way to be more connected to eachother and attack the white supremacist framework that affect even the nonwhites that exists in Latin America. I first heard this anthem during Beyonce's coachella performance, but I'm glad I paused to read the words, quite beautiful indeed.
@@joseftullen6372 A new type of slavery took place where the concept of race was created to uphold it. White people thinking themselves as white occured the day they enslaved and created the concept of black people to unite the warring countries in Europe. So the answer is there are no races, but the concept of defining yourself by your race was created and formed by white people, which even though it is not biogically real it affect us in very real ways. Slavery, Jim Crow, the new Jim Crow etc. That's why Latine people are "proud" of their race because the color denotes "criminality, lower imposed intelligence" by white people. White supremacy is the dominant framework around the planet and it is why systematic racism doesn't exist for white people. Yes, even in majority nonwhite countries Honduras white supramacist frameworks affect the whole population. "Good hair, bettering your race (mix with light skinned" common sayings in latin america are white frameworks. Racism against black and indigenous Latine populations. So "white pride" is racist because there is no systematic racism against white people and it upholds the white supremacist frameworks that also negatively affect white people. Eg no healthcare in this country, social safety net, vacation time because nonwhites are the scapegoats for every problem for white people. I would love the day no one has to be proud to be pigmented phenotype, but until white supremacy (which subjects poc to inferiority status) is destroyed that won't happen. Notice I didn't say white people, only that whiteness was created to uphold white supremacy the same day the created black people as negative concept. Be proud of your country's people, of your similarities that you and I share, with where you come from/class, middle class/working class/ poor/ etcethnicity/roots (Irish, Honduran, Jewish etc) . With a barely there middle class the country mainly serves a few rich oligarchs which use race and class to divide us. Get rid of their main tools racism, neoliberalism, and capitalism and we can get somewhere.
As a white person, I still wish this were OUR national anthem. While the Star Spangled Banner is beautiful and I am totally appreciative of it as our national anthem, I would have to say I'd prefer a song like this which speaks of the truth of our past which we have done so much (but not enough, yet) to overcome. Instead of the heroism displayed in warfare, this song emphasizes the moral courage of all those (oppressed and oppressors) who have faced the truth and responded. Amen, brother Ray!
The Star Spangled Banner was originally an English drinking song, the lyrics are about war and bombs and flags (things I personally don't care about), & to top it off it's ridiculous to sing. This is just far and away a better song -- it talks about joy and hope despite much suffering. It is normally interpreted much more hymn-like if you don't care for the dancey 4/4 version.
His version of America The Beautiful has become the most celebrated one, but his version of Lift Every Voice is very underrated. This song was on the same album as America The Beautiful. The album is called A Message From The People , recorded in 1972
My mom bought this album when I was a child and Ray Charles' version was the one I grew up hearing..I am 56 now, and his version of America the Beautiful AND Lift Every Voice and Sing are STILL my favorites.
IF you use this song, a battle cry, a cry for inclusion in a new land, as a weapon to fuel racial tension today then you are wrong. This song exemplifies Triumph and overcoming adversity similar to the National Anthem. " Let us March on till victory is won."
@palermo1kid SO who is lost with no direction? Sheep as in obedient? Don't we all comply to laws within this society i.e. taxes, registration, DL). So who are the wolves?
We are getting “killed” by our own. We are getting killed by the lifestyle we choose to live. The oppression we see is real don’t get me wrong, it’s easy to overcome if we stop living up to the stereotypes media portrays for us. Stop pushing the victim narrative and start pushing for overcoming via changing our ways and how others perceive us.
Love Ray. Dude had soul! Don’t mean it disrespectful but I thought the guy opening up was gonna say....”the man you are about to see.....can’t see you”
I love R.C. "Hit the Road,Jack"was the very first 45 I ever bought.And,after all these years,when I hear"Georgia on My Mind," I get all teary-eyed. I saw him in person in 1980.One of my very favorite memories.
It is a great surprise to see Mabel John included among the Raelettes. She was of course sister to Little Willie John and a GREAT talent in her own right as well. It's odd the amount of time that I can spend watching old performances such as this. I'm glad that I'm me though. I'd feel that I wasted one hell of a lot of time if all I ever got out of it was something new to criticize. Amen to Brother Ray! Amen!!
Key phrase: “native land”, i.e. The United States of America! It’s a song about freedom for... all people. What a shame such a lovely, compassionate song is being used to divide us. It’s a kind of desecration, really.
I was thinking the same thing..but I know it starts with me..and mine..but best know...if you are singing it..I am also singing it..teaching it and sharing it...I come from a time and place where if one person started singing this son...everyone around them knew the words and could sing it on key...
A.Lincoln said " We say we are for the union,the world will not forget we say this", NOT in Africa, Europe and Asia,down with Kissinger, Kennedy and Kennedy,up with people Einstein, Dr King and Mr Eisenhower,voted from Carter to Sanders to trump( we need a new Pyongyang Korea,and hope he doesn't run with former VP)Quale and Sanders 24Down with american soviet unions and may we elect without sos,vp, Chairman kissinger or Chairman Masuertung.Old Chris
Dont matter where you were born, its about where you were raised and how you were raised, we are all one race...The Human Race and I find this song very beautiful as much as anyone else might love it...and I was born in mexico, Music for everybody who can find the beauty to it
This was obviously written because white men thought we weren't equal and we felt we needed our own. So how much has changed? Not much. At all. But you wouldn't know because you're not black.
Wow-what an incredible performance. I wonder what it must feel like, to be that courageous, to understand you're provoking possibly violent reactions, when you're blind. What a genius, in so many ways. Thank you for sharing this with me. With much love and gratitude, Namaste, Pam
im black and i understand where your coming from sharpton and jackson are hypocrites who have double standards, and quite frankly they make other black people look bad don't listen to b1gbloo they're obviously close minded
I like this version alot better than the one on his album, "A message from the People" This one has a better beat and the back ground singers do alot better....
@keepingitreal15 vanilla in it's natural state is dark. this is an old screename that i made in 7th grade bc caramel was taken...i didn't even know there was a rapper with that name until after but i just use it for different things bc it's hard to find non used screenames. I'm seriously confused about what point you're trying to make. And also, please tell me how these two men help the black community. I was stating my opinion based on how these two men conduct themselves.
@keepingitreal15 also, how does it make me a traitor to point out people who I think take advantage of race issues? Obviously if I didn't care about Black people I wouldn't care. And if I were to choose a rapper as my screename, it would be Biggie...but that's besides the point. What if for some strange reason I did like Vanillaice the best as an almost-16 year old girl? you know what, it would make me OPEN MINDED. Don't jump to silly conclusions that don't have substance to them.
