November 8, 1899: Celebrating 126 Years of the Black National Anthem | The Root

4.2K views · 710 likes · Nov 6, 2026

Today marks 126 years since James Weldon Johnson wrote the words that would become “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Originally written as a poem on November 6, 1899, the piece was later set to music by Johnson’s brother, J. Rosamond Johnson, in 1900. More than a century later, the…